Ron Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ron Johnson
Official portrait, 2021
United States Senator from Wisconsin
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2011 Serving with Tammy Baldwin
Preceded by	Russ Feingold
Chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
In office January 3, 2015 – February 3, 2021
Preceded by	Tom Carper
Succeeded by	Gary Peters
Personal details
Born	Ronald Harold Johnson (1955-04-08) April 8, 1955 (age 70) Mankato, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Jane Curler ​ (m. 1977)​
Children	3
Education	University of Minnesota (BS)

Ronald Harold Johnson, born on April 8, 1955, is an American politician and businessman. He currently serves as a United States Senator for Wisconsin. He has held this important role since 2011.

As a member of the Republican Party, Senator Johnson was first elected in 2010. He won against the Democratic Senator Russ Feingold. He was reelected in 2016, again defeating Feingold. In 2022, he won his third term, beating Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes.

Before becoming a senator, Ron Johnson was a businessman. He was the chief executive officer of a company that made plastics. This company was located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Early Life and School

Ron Johnson was born in Mankato, Minnesota. His parents were Jeanette Elizabeth and Dale Robert Johnson. His family background includes Norwegian and German roots.

Growing up, he had many different jobs. He delivered newspapers and worked as a caddy at a golf course. He also helped bale hay on his uncle's farm and washed dishes at a restaurant. He went to Edina High School. He finished school early and then went to the University of Minnesota. In 1977, he earned a bachelor's degree in business and accounting.

Business Career

In 1979, Ron Johnson moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with his wife, Jane. He started working for his wife's family business, PACUR. This company made plastics. Jane's brother, Pat Curler, started PACUR with money from their father, Howard Curler. For the first few years, another big plastics company, Bemis Company, was PACUR's only customer.

According to his campaign story, Johnson worked as an accountant and a machine operator at PACUR. The company grew and started making special plastics for medical devices. This meant they hired salespeople and began selling products to other countries. In the mid-1980s, Pat Curler left PACUR, and Ron Johnson became the CEO.

In 1987, the Curler family sold PACUR to Bowater Industries. Johnson stayed on as CEO. Then, in 1997, he bought PACUR back from Bowater. He continued to be the CEO until he was elected to the Senate in 2010.

Serving in the U.S. Senate

Elections

2010 Election

Final results by county in 2010.

The 2010 U.S. Senate campaign was Ron Johnson's first time running for an elected office. He said he was glad to be connected with the "Tea Party" movement, which was a group that wanted less government spending.

In the Republican primary election on September 14, 2010, Johnson won easily. He largely paid for his own campaign. He defeated Dave Westlake and Stephen Finn.

As a candidate, Johnson was against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This act was meant to help the economy. He believed the country would have been better off without spending that money.

Johnson's 2010 campaign raised $15.2 million. About $9 million of this money came from his own pocket. After he was elected, he said he sold his liquid assets to avoid conflicts of interest. He also promised to put his assets into a blind trust.

In the general election on November 2, Johnson defeated the current Democratic Senator Russ Feingold. Johnson won with 52% of the votes.

Ron Johnson's official portrait from the 112th Congress.

2016 Election

Final results by county in 2016.

In March 2013, Ron Johnson announced he would run for reelection in 2016. He was supported by a group called the Club for Growth, which focuses on financial issues. He said he would not pay for his own campaign this time.

In December 2014, a newspaper called the Washington Post said Johnson was the most at-risk senator for the 2016 election. In May 2015, Russ Feingold announced he would run again to try and win back his Senate seat.

In the general election on November 8, Johnson was reelected. He won with 50.2% of the votes.

2022 Election

Final results by county in 2022.

Even though he had said in 2016 that he would retire after two terms, Ron Johnson announced in January 2022 that he would run for a third term. He ran against the Democratic candidate, Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes.

Johnson and Barnes had a debate in October 2022. When asked to say something positive about their opponent, Barnes praised Johnson as a "family man." Johnson said Barnes had a "good upbringing."

In the general election on November 8, Johnson won against Barnes. He received 50.4% of the votes.

Committee Work

Senators work on different committees to handle specific topics. Ron Johnson is part of several important committees:

• Committee on Foreign Relations
  • Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation (as a ranking member, meaning a senior member of the minority party)
• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia
  • Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information and International Security
  • Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Political Views

Economy

In 2021, Johnson said he supported increasing the minimum wage a little bit. However, in 2022, he said he thought the "marketplace" should decide wages, not the government.

He was one of 31 Republican senators who voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. This act was about how the government spends money.

Environment and Climate Change

Ron Johnson does not agree with the widely accepted scientific view on climate change. In 2010, he called the idea that humans cause global warming "crazy." He said that carbon dioxide, a gas linked to climate change, actually "helps the trees grow."

He also wrongly claimed that Greenland was green when it was found. He said it became white over time because of cooling temperatures. In 2015, he claimed that "the climate hasn't warmed in quite a few years," even though global temperatures were reaching records that year.

Johnson has supported laws that would stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from making new rules about carbon emissions. In a 2022 debate, he said, "The climate has always changed and always will change, so I don’t deny climate change."

When asked about drilling for oil in the Great Lakes, he said we need to get oil where it is. He added that it must be done safely and in a way that protects the environment. After some criticism, he clarified that he did not support drilling in the Great Lakes.

Money Matters

During President Obama's time in office, Johnson wanted to cut federal spending. He was involved in talks about raising the national debt limit in 2011 and 2013. He believed that Congress should not keep raising the debt limit. He thought they needed to decide what spending was most important.

Johnson also said that the government should not have worried about defaulting on its debt. He believed the government had enough money to pay interest on debt, Social Security, and soldiers' salaries.

During the Trump administration, Johnson supported tax cuts. He voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. He said these tax cuts would help the economy.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson voted for the CARES Act in March 2020. This act provided economic relief. However, he was strongly against more stimulus payments later. In December 2020, he tried to stop a plan to give $1,200 COVID-19 checks to people. He said it was because of the national debt.

In March 2021, Johnson tried to slow down the American Rescue Plan Act. He forced a 10-hour reading of the bill in the Senate. He said the Senate did not have enough time to read it.

In August 2022, Johnson criticized the federal Social Security and Medicare programs. He said they were adding to the national debt. He suggested that these programs should need to be approved by Congress every year. He also called Social Security a "Ponzi Scheme," meaning he thought it was not sustainable.

Gun Policy

In 2013, Johnson supported a bill that would stop the Department of Justice from tracking certain gun purchases. In April 2013, he was one of 12 Republican senators who said they would block any new gun control laws.

That same month, Johnson and 45 other senators voted against the Manchin-Toomey Amendment. This amendment would have required background checks for all gun sales, even between individuals. Johnson has received about $1.2 million in donations from groups that support gun rights since his 2010 campaign.

Health Care

Ron Johnson is against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as "Obamacare." He has voted to cancel it. In 2013, he did not support efforts to stop funding the federal government to get rid of the ACA. He knew these efforts would likely fail.

In 2014, he criticized how members of Congress could use pre-tax money to pay for their health care. He even filed a lawsuit to stop ACA exceptions for Congress members and their staff. The lawsuit was later dismissed.

In 2022, Johnson said that if Republicans gained control after the 2022 elections, they should try to repeal the ACA again.

COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson voted against the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in March 2020. He said he knew COVID-19 could be a "nasty disease." However, he compared it to car accidents or the flu, saying we do not shut down the economy for those. His comments were criticized for downplaying the threat of COVID-19.

As the head of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Johnson invited people to hearings who shared unusual ideas about COVID-19. These people promoted unproven treatments and expressed doubts about vaccines. Johnson invited a doctor who had "cast doubts on coronavirus vaccines" and pushed for the use of hydroxychloroquine.

In early 2021, Johnson was unsure about COVID-19 vaccines. In March 2021, he would not say if they were safe or encourage people to get vaccinated. In April 2021, he said widespread vaccinations were not that important. He also wrongly suggested that people who had COVID did not need vaccines. These ideas went against what health experts recommended.

In December 2021, he suggested using mouthwash as a treatment for the coronavirus during a meeting. This idea was quickly criticized. Even a website for a popular mouthwash brand said there was not enough proof it helped against COVID-19.

In May 2021, Johnson wrongly claimed that thousands of deaths were linked to COVID vaccinations. He also falsely stated that there was a risk of death for people who had COVID before and then got the vaccine. YouTube temporarily stopped him from posting videos because of his comments about unproven COVID-19 treatments.

Immigration

Johnson supported President Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He said DACA was against the Constitution. He also said it encouraged children from Central America to enter America illegally. Ending DACA meant that about 800,000 immigrants who came to the country as children could be deported.

In 2021, Johnson seemed to support the "Great Replacement" idea. This is a conspiracy theory that says white people are being replaced by non-white people. He talked about a "Democrat grand plan" to "change the makeup of the electorate."

Judiciary

Johnson is one of the senators who supported the "nuclear option." This idea would change Senate rules to make it easier to approve President Trump's choices for judges. It would mean that a simple majority vote could approve judges, instead of needing more votes.

In 2022, Johnson stopped a person chosen by President Biden, William Pocan, from becoming a federal judge in Wisconsin.

Social Issues

In March 2015, Johnson voted for a change that would allow all employees in the country to earn paid sick time.

In 2015, Johnson was one of 11 Republican senators who voted to allow same-sex spouses to get federal Social Security and veterans' benefits.

In July 2022, Johnson first said he supported the Respect for Marriage Act. This act would make same-sex marriage legal across the country. However, in September 2022, he changed his mind. He said he would not support it "in its current state." He voted against the act in November 2022.

Trade

In November 2018, Johnson was one of 12 Republican senators who asked President Trump to send the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to Congress quickly. They wanted a vote on it before the end of the year. They were worried it would be harder to pass if it had to wait for the next Congress.

Support for Donald Trump

Ron Johnson has been a strong supporter of President Donald Trump. He criticized Senator Mitt Romney for wanting witnesses in a Trump impeachment trial. Johnson said that impeachment votes would just "inflame the situation."

As the head of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Johnson started investigations into people who were political opponents of Trump, including Joe Biden. In September 2020, Johnson released a report that found no proof of wrongdoing by Biden related to Ukraine. Johnson's report repeated claims that had been part of Russian efforts to spread false information about Biden.

In January 2018, Johnson claimed he had information that the FBI and Department of Justice had worked against Trump in the 2016 election. He called it a "secret society" and said there was "corruption at the highest levels of the FBI." He later said his claims were based on text messages between FBI agents, but he could not fully understand their meaning.

In April 2019, Johnson defended Trump's statement that some high-level FBI agents were "scum." He said there was "definitely corruption at the highest levels of the FBI." In 2021, Johnson confirmed that the FBI had warned him in August 2020 that he was a target of Russian false information.

2020 Presidential Election

After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, Ron Johnson agreed with some of Trump's claims about widespread election fraud. He said that half the country would not accept a Biden win. He also made claims about "voter fraud" that he said the media and officials were ignoring.

Johnson did not recognize Biden's victory until December 16. He then said the election was legitimate and he would not object to the counting of the electoral votes. However, in January 2021, he announced he would object to the certification of the Electoral College results. But he later changed his mind and voted against the objections.

The day after the Capitol attack, a newspaper called for Johnson and others to resign from Congress.

2021 U.S. Capitol Attack

The House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack found that Johnson's aide tried to give Vice President Mike Pence an envelope. This envelope contained names of "alternate electors" for Michigan and Wisconsin, which were later found to be fake. Pence's aide refused to take it. Johnson later claimed he did not know what was inside the envelope.

In February 2021, Johnson suggested that Nancy Pelosi wanted to impeach Trump a second time to "deflect" from what she knew about the Capitol attack. Johnson voted that Trump's impeachment was unconstitutional. He later voted to clear Trump of the charges. After Trump was cleared, Johnson downplayed the attack. He called it "the most pitiful armed insurrection anybody could ever possibly imagine." This statement was rated as false by Politifact.

Even though 140 police officers were hurt in the attack, Johnson said in March 2021 that he was not worried for his safety. He said the rioters "loved their country." He added that he might have been worried if the rioters had been from groups like Black Lives Matter or Antifa. In May 2021, Johnson voted against creating a special committee to investigate the January 6 attack.

In August 2021, Johnson suggested that the FBI knew more about the Capitol attack than they had revealed.

Electoral History

Personal Life

Ron Johnson and his wife, Jane, live in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. They have three children. He is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, which is a type of Christian church.

Images for kids

• 

  Final results by county in 2010.

• 

  Ron Johnson's official portrait from the 112th Congress.

• 

  Final results by county in 2016.

• 

  Final results by county in 2022.

See also

In Spanish: Ron Johnson (político) para niños