Tim Johnson (South Dakota politician)

(Redirected from Tim Johnson (South Dakota)) American politician (1946–2024) This article is about the senator from South Dakota. For the congressman from Illinois, see Tim Johnson (Illinois politician). For other names, see Timothy Johnson (disambiguation).

Tim Johnson
Official portrait, 2009

United States Senator from South Dakota
In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Larry Pressler
Succeeded by	Mike Rounds
Chair of the Senate Banking Committee
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Chris Dodd
Succeeded by	Richard Shelby
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota's at-large district
In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1997
Preceded by	Tom Daschle
Succeeded by	John Thune
Member of the South Dakota Senate
In office January 1983 – January 1987
Preceded by	George H. Shanard
Succeeded by	Roland A. Chicoine
Member of the South Dakota House of Representatives
In office January 1979 – January 1983

Personal details
Born	Timothy Peter Johnson (1946-12-28)December 28, 1946 Canton, South Dakota, U.S.
Died	October 8, 2024(2024-10-08) (aged 77) Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S.
Resting place	Woodlawn Cemetery Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Barbara Brooks (m. 1969)
Children	3, including Brendan
Education	University of South Dakota (BA, MA, JD)
Tim Johnson's voice Johnson's opening remarks at the confirmation hearing of William H. Donaldson to be SEC chairman Recorded February 5, 2003

Timothy Peter Johnson (December 28, 1946 – October 8, 2024) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from South Dakota from 1997 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the United States representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district from 1987 to 1997 and in the state legislature from 1979 to 1987. Johnson is the last Democrat to hold statewide and/or congressional office in South Dakota. He and Stephanie Herseth are also the last Democrats to win a statewide election in South Dakota, as well as a federal election.

Early life, education and legal career

Johnson was born in Canton, South Dakota, the son of Ruth Jorinda (née Ljostveit), a homemaker, and Vandel Charles Johnson, an educator. He had Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish ancestry. Raised in Vermillion, Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1969 and a Master of Arts in 1970, both in political science, from the University of South Dakota, where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

After doing post-graduate studies at Michigan State University from 1970 to 1971, a period during which he worked for the Michigan Senate, Johnson returned to Vermillion to attend the University of South Dakota School of Law and earned his Juris Doctor in 1975; he went into private practice immediately thereafter. He did not take the bar exam as he was admitted to the South Dakota bar under the state's diploma privilege.

Early political career

Johnson served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1979 to 1982 and in the South Dakota Senate from 1983 to 1986. He served as Clay County deputy state's attorney in 1985 during his tenure in the South Dakota Senate. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota's at-large congressional district in 1986. During his first term, he introduced more legislation than any other freshman member of the House. Between 1991 and 1994, he served as a regional whip for the Democratic Party. He left the House in 1997, when his Senate tenure began.

United States Senate

Johnson's Senate career began in 1997.

In December 2006, Johnson suffered a brain hemorrhage. His condition was viewed with much suspense; Democrats held a one-seat Senate majority, and had Johnson died or resigned, Governor Mike Rounds would likely have appointed a Republican to Johnson's seat, giving Republicans control of the Senate. Johnson returned to his full Senate schedule on September 5, 2007, to both tributes and standing ovations.

Johnson chose not to seek reelection in 2014.

Committee assignments

Political positions

Johnson was considered a centrist Democrat.

Infrastructure

During his tenure in Congress, Johnson supported infrastructure projects that delivered clean drinking water to communities throughout South Dakota and into surrounding states. He authored several water project bills, resulting in clean drinking water being delivered to hundreds of thousands of South Dakota families.

During his first term in the House of Representatives, Johnson authored the Mni Wiconi Project Act of 1988 (H.R. 2772, enacted into law as Public Law 100–516). The measure authorized construction of a water project serving an area of southwestern South Dakota that included the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, an area that had long suffered low water supplies and poor water quality. In subsequent years, Johnson authored legislation (H.R. 3954) to expand the Mni Wiconi Rural Water Project service area, and the expansion was incorporated into a broader bill and enacted as Public Law 103-434.

Johnson's Mid Dakota Rural Water System Act of 1991 (H.R. 616) was incorporated into a larger package of infrastructure projects and enacted into law as Public Law 102-575. The Mid Dakota Rural Water Project was completed in 2006 and serves more than 30,000 residents of east-central South Dakota.

The Fall River Rural Water Users District Rural Water System Act of 1998 (S. 744 in the 105th Congress, enacted as Public Law 105–352) authorized the Bureau of Reclamation to construct a rural water system in Fall River County of South Dakota. After years of drought, residents in the southeastern area of that county had been left without a suitable water supply, and many of them were forced to either haul water or use bottled water because of poor water quality.

The Lewis and Clark Rural Water System Act of 1999 (S.244 in the 106th Congress) authorized construction of a water delivery system spanning a broad area of southeastern South Dakota, northwestern Iowa, and southwestern Minnesota. The system joined 22 rural water systems and communities.

The authorized project was intended to bring clean, safe drinking water to 180,000 individuals throughout the Lewis and Clark service region. The Perkins County Rural Water System Act (S.2117 in the 105th Congress and S.243 in the 106th Congress, enacted as Public Law 106–136) authorized the Bureau of Reclamation to construct a rural water system in Perkins County of South Dakota.

Agriculture

Johnson worked to enact a requirement that meat and other agricultural products be labeled for country of origin. Having first authored legislation addressing the issue in 1992 (H.R. 5855), Johnson continued the fight until a meat labeling law was enacted in 2002 as part of the Farm Bill reauthorization (Public Law 107–171). The enacted law contained language Johnson had introduced as S. 280 earlier that Congress.

For more than a decade, executive branch opposition and legal challenges delayed implementation of the labeling law.

In May 2007, Johnson received an Honored Cooperator award from the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) for his support of cooperative businesses.

In 2013, the National Farmers Union presented Johnson with its Friend of the Family Farmer award, an honor intended to recognize his commitment to helping small scale family farms remain viable.

Tourism

Johnson authored the bill establishing the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in western South Dakota. The measure was enacted as Public Law 106–115, creating a new unit of the National Park System. At the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, visitors can learn about the Cold War and the nuclear missiles that threatened massive destruction while also serving as a deterrent to war.

Defense

Johnson was the only seated member of Congress to have a son or daughter serving in the active duty military when the Senate voted to approve the use of force in Iraq. His oldest son, Brooks, served in the Army's 101st Airborne Division, which would surely be mobilized to fight in Iraq. Johnson ultimately voted to permit the use of force, and his son served in Iraq, having already served in other conflicts in Bosnia and Kosovo. Brooks Johnson later also served in the conflict in Afghanistan.

As chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Johnson secured full and timely funding for veterans' health care for the first time in 21 years. He was among a group of legislators that successfully pressed for enactment of legislation providing advance funding for veterans' health care, thereby preventing health services for veterans from being undermined by funding delays.

When the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission recommended closure of Ellsworth Air Force Base, Johnson assisted in making the South Dakota delegation's case to keep the base open. Ultimately, the base was preserved by an 8 to 1 vote of the BRAC commission.

Banking

As chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Johnson pressed for confirmation and ultimately brought President Obama's nominee for CFPB chairman, Richard Cordray, to a committee vote despite Republican opposition.

The committee approved Cordray's nomination on a party-line 12–10 vote, and Cordray was ultimately confirmed by the full Senate on a 66-34 vote.

Other

In the House, Johnson was among the minority of his party to vote in favor of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 – a welfare reform bill – and another bill to repeal the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. He was among the minority of Democrats to vote for President George W. Bush's 2001 tax cut. On January 31, 2006, Johnson was one of only four Democrats to vote to confirm Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court. He also called for "broadened use" of the death penalty.

Johnson was among the minority of senators to vote against the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which anti-abortion groups strongly supported. While a member of the House, he was one of only 16 congressmen to vote against the Telecom Act of 1996, which provided for deregulation and competition in the communication sector and was given firm support by Republicans, business groups, and most Democrats.

Johnson supported Obama's health reform legislation; he voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in December 2009 and for the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.

In May 2010, Johnson introduced the Tony Dean Cheyenne River Valley Conservation Act of 2010, a bill that would designate over 48,000 acres (190 km) of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland as protected wilderness. The act would allow the continuation of grazing and hunting on the land and would create the first national grassland wilderness in the country.

On December 18, 2010, Johnson voted in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.

Political campaigns

South Dakota legislature

Johnson launched his political career in 1978, winning a seat in the South Dakota House of Representatives. He served in the House from 1979 until 1982. Johnson continued his legislative career by serving in the South Dakota Senate from 1983 to 1986. During this time, he also worked as Clay County deputy state's attorney in 1985.

U.S. House of Representatives

Johnson was elected five times to represent South Dakota as the at-large member of the United States House of Representatives. He served from 1987 to 1997. During his tenure, Johnson worked on issues including agriculture, rural development, protecting Medicare and Social Security, and expanding access to healthcare.

1996 U.S. Senate campaign

Johnson narrowly defeated three-term Senator Larry Pressler in the 1996 U.S. Senate election. This made him the only Senate candidate that year to defeat an incumbent in a general election, during a year that saw 13 open seats.

2002 U.S. Senate reelection campaign

In 2002, Johnson was reelected by 524 votes over U.S. Representative John Thune, who had succeeded him in South Dakota's at-large House seat. The race was widely seen as a proxy battle between President George W. Bush, who carried South Dakota comfortably in 2000, and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Johnson won 94% of the vote among the Oglala Sioux, South Dakota's largest tribe.

Tim Johnson 2002 US Senate Campaign Logo

2008 U.S. Senate reelection campaign

Johnson sought reelection in 2008 after recovering from a serious health condition. Early polls showed him likely to defeat Republican challenger Joel Dykstra, and he did, with 62.5% of the vote. In January 2008, Johnson endorsed Barack Obama for president in the Democratic primary.

Electoral history

South Dakota's at-large congressional district: Results 1986–1994
Year	Democratic	Votes	Pct	Republican	Votes	Pct	3rd Party	Party	Votes	Pct	3rd Party	Party	Votes	Pct
1986	Tim Johnson	171,462	59.2%	Dale Bell	118,261	40.8%
1988	Tim Johnson (incumbent)	223,759	71.7%	David Volk	88,157	28.3%
1990	Tim Johnson (incumbent)	173,814	67.6%	Don Frankenfeld	83,484	32.4%
1992	Tim Johnson (incumbent)	230,070	69.1%	John Timmer	89,375	26.9%	Ronald Wieczorek	Independent	6,746	2.0%	Robert J. Newland	Libertarian	3,931	1.2%
1994	Tim Johnson (incumbent)	183,036	59.8%	Jan Berkhout	112,054	36.6%	Ronald Wieczorek	Independent	10,832	3.5%

*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1992, Ann Balakier received 2,780 votes.

South Dakota Senator (Class II): Results 1996–2008
Year	Democratic	Votes	Pct	Republican	Votes	Pct	3rd Party	Party	Votes	Pct
1996	Tim Johnson	166,533	51.32%	Larry Pressler (incumbent)	157,954	48.68%
2002	Tim Johnson (incumbent)	167,481	49.62%	John Thune	166,949	49.47%	Kurt Evans	Libertarian	3,071	0.91%
2008	Tim Johnson (incumbent)	237,866	62.49%	Joel Dykstra	142,778	37.51%

Personal life

Johnson married the former Barbara Brooks in 1969. The couple had three children — Brooks, of Millis, MA; Brendan, the former U.S. Attorney for South Dakota; and Kelsey Billion of Sioux Falls, SD — and eight grandchildren. They lived in Sioux Falls.

Illness and death

Johnson was treated for prostate cancer in 2004 and further tests showed he was clear of the disease.

On December 13, 2006, in Washington, D.C., during the broadcast of a live radio interview, Johnson suffered bleeding in the brain caused by a cerebral arteriovenous malformation, a congenital defect that causes enlarged and tangled blood vessels. In critical condition, he underwent surgery at George Washington University Hospital to drain the blood and stop further bleeding.

Johnson then underwent a lengthy regimen of physical, occupational, and speech therapy to regain strength and mobility and restore his severely affected speech. He was left partially paralyzed on his right side, and had to use a scooter. In his 2007 State of the Union Address, President George W. Bush sent Johnson his best wishes. Johnson resumed his full schedule in the Senate on September 5, 2007.

Johnson died in Sioux Falls on October 8, 2024, at age 77, after having another stroke. His funeral service on October 18 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls was attended by hundreds of people, including several politicians who had served with Johnson. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Future US Senator Tim Johnson when he was Clay County Assistant State's Attorney in Vermillion, SD
Congressman Tim Johnson (D-SD) with South Dakota Farmers and Congressman Dick Gephardt (D-MO)
Congressman Tim Johnson (D-SD) driving Ethanol 85 vehicle at the US Capitol Building
Sen. Johnson (second from right) answers questions after he helped prevent the closure of Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. Left to right: Governor M. Michael Rounds, U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth, Johnson, and U.S. Senator John Thune

References

"rootsweb Search". ancestry.com. Retrieved October 26, 2007.
^ Risen, Clay (October 10, 2024). "Tim Johnson, Senator Who Came Back From an Aneurysm, Dies at 77". The New York Times. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
"Delta Tau Delta Fraternity". nndb.com. Soylent Communications. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
"Tim Johnson U.S. SENATOR FROM SOUTH DAKOTA TRIBUTES IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES" (PDF). govinfo.gov. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
"About Tim: Biography of Senator Tim Johnson". Archived from the original on June 26, 2008.
"Tim P. Johnson". c-span.org. National Cable Satellite Corporation. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
Yourish, Karen; Ashkenas, Jeremy; Ericson, Matthew (March 1, 2014). "The 2014 Senate Landscape". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
^ "Senator in Critical Condition". CNN. December 14, 2006. Retrieved December 14, 2006. Johnson, 59, was in critical condition Thursday morning after surgery...
^ Milbank, Dana (September 6, 2007). "Senate Family Welcomes Cousin Tim ... Not So Much Uncle Larry". Washington Post.
"Sen. Tim Johnson to retire in 2014, giving GOP new pickup target". The Hill. March 25, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
"Former South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson dies at 77". PBS News. October 9, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
"Thune Pays Tribute to Tim Johnson on Senate Floor". thune.senate.gov. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
Archived September 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
"H.R.3954 - 103rd Congress (1993-1994): Mni Wiconi Act Amendments of 1994 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress".
Public Law 103-434.
Archived September 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
Archived September 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
"History". mdrws.com. Mid-Dakota Rural Water. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
"S.744 - 105th Congress (1997-1998): Fall River Water Users District Rural Water System Act of 1998 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress".
S. Rept. 105-369 - Fall River Water Users District Water System Act of 1997 (Report). October 6, 1998. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
"S.244 - 106th Congress (1999-2000): Lewis and Clark Rural Water System Act of 1999 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress".
"S. Rept. 106-130 - THE LEWIS AND CLARK RURAL WATER SYSTEM ACT OF 1999". congress.gov. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
Archived September 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-105s2117es/pdf/BILLS-105s2117es.pdf
S. Rept. 106-18 - Perkins County Rural Water System Act of 1999 (Report). March 17, 1999. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
Archived September 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
Archived September 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
Archived September 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
"Sen. Johnson Wins Honored Cooperator Award". Credit Union Journal. May 7, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
"Sen. Tim Johnson (D)". National Journal Almanac. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
Archived September 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
"Plan Your Visit". nps.gov. National Park Service. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
Shields, Mark. "In war, Washington is a sacrifice-free zone". CNN. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
Archived September 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
Reha, Bob. "South Dakota's Ellsworth AFB to stay open". news.minnesota.publicradio.org. Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
Staff, HousingWire. "Senate Banking Committee Democrats fight for vote on Cordray nomination".
"Senate Banking to vote Tuesday on Cordray". nafcu.org. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
"U.S. Senate: Request not Accepted - Security Risk Detected". www.senate.gov.
"U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 113th Congress - 1st Session". www.senate.gov.
"HR 3734 - Welfare Reform Act of 1996 - Voting Record". votesmart.org. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
"FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 92". house.gov. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
Strassel, Kimberly A. (December 2017). "When Democrats Backed Tax Cuts". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
Roll Call Vote 109th Congress - 2nd Session (on the confirmation of Samuel Alito of New Jersey), United States Senate, January 31, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
Kirkpatrick, David D. (February 1, 2006). "Alito Sworn In as Justice After Senate Gives Approval". The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
"Tim Johnson on the Issues". OnTheIssues.org. Retrieved December 20, 2006. Broaden use of death penalty. (Jan 1996)
"Roll Call Vote 108th Congress - 2nd Session Vote Summary Question: On Passage of the Bill (H. R. 1997 )". senate.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
"S 652 - Telecommunications Bill - Voting Record". votesmart.org. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
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"U.S. Senate: Legislation & Records Home > Votes > Roll Call Vote". Senate.gov. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
"Conservation Group Hails Introduction of Grassland Wilderness Bill". South Dakota Wild Grassland Coalition. May 5, 2010. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
Cook, Andrea J. (June 16, 2010). "Neighbors disagree on grasslands wilderness". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
"U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 2nd Session". www.senate.gov.
"Senate Vote 281 - Repeals 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 27, 2015.
Seth Tupper (October 9, 2024). "'Quiet giant' of SD politics, Tim Johnson, dies at age 77". South Dakota Searchlight. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
Johnson, Dirk (October 22, 2008). "In South Dakota Race, Gauging the Impact of a Senator's Health". The New York Times. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
"Election 2008: South Dakota Senate". Rasmussen Reports. March 7, 2008. Archived from the original on March 11, 2008.
"Johnson backs Obama". January 9, 2008. Archived from the original on January 13, 2008.
^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Archived from the original on July 30, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2007.
"Retired Sen. Tim Johnson returns to Vermillion/Yankton Area". plaintalk.net. July 22, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
"Biography of Senator Tim Johnson". Tim Johnson Senate website. Archived from the original on December 16, 2006. Retrieved December 20, 2006.
"Sen. Johnson recovering after brain surgery". NBC News. Associated Press. December 14, 2006. Retrieved December 23, 2006. He underwent prostate cancer treatment in 2004, and subsequent tests have shown him to be clear of the disease.
Jalonick, Mary Clare (January 19, 2007). "Ailing South Dakota Senator on the Mend". CBS. Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 23, 2007.
Bush, George W. (January 23, 2007). "President Bush's 2007 State of the Union Address". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
"Former U.S. Senator Tim Johnson passes away". Dakota News Now. October 9, 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
Ellis, Jonathan (October 18, 2024). "Sen. Tim Johnson remembered as icon of politics, dedicated family man at service attended by hundreds". The Dakota Scout. Retrieved December 1, 2024.

External links

Appearances on C-SPAN

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded byTom Daschle	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota's at-large congressional district 1987–1997	Succeeded byJohn Thune
Party political offices
Preceded byTed Muenster	Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from South Dakota (Class 2) 1996, 2002, 2008	Succeeded byRick Weiland
U.S. Senate
Preceded byLarry Pressler	U.S. senator (Class 2) from South Dakota 1997–2015 Served alongside: Tom Daschle, John Thune	Succeeded byMike Rounds
Preceded byChris Dodd	Chair of the Senate Banking Committee 2011–2015	Succeeded byRichard Shelby

v t e United States senators from South Dakota
Class 2	Pettigrew Gamble Sterling McMaster Bulow H. Bushfield V. Bushfield Mundt Abourezk Pressler T. Johnson Rounds
Class 3	Moody Kyle Kittredge Crawford E. Johnson Norbeck Hitchcock Pyle Gurney Case Bottum McGovern Abdnor Daschle Thune

v t e Chairs of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Banking and Currency (1913–1970)	Owen McLean Norbeck Fletcher Wagner Tobey Maybank Capehart Fulbright Robertson Sparkman
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (1970–present)	Sparkman Proxmire Garn Proxmire Riegle D'Amato Gramm Sarbanes Gramm Sarbanes Shelby Dodd Johnson Shelby Crapo Brown Crapo (designate)

Members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota

Two at-large seats (1889–1913)

Seat	Pickler Kelley Burke Hall Burke
Seat	Gifford J. Gamble Jolley Lucas R. Gamble Knowles R. Gamble Martin Parker Martin

Districts (1913–1983)

1st district	Dillon Christopherson Hildebrandt Mundt Lovre McGovern Reifel Denholm Pressler Daschle (district abolished in 1983)
2nd district	Burke R. Johnson Werner Case Berry Abourezk Abdnor Roberts (district abolished in 1983)
3rd district	Martin Gandy Williamson (district abolished in 1933)

One at-large seat (1983–present)

Seat	Daschle T. Johnson Thune Janklow Herseth Sandlin Noem D. Johnson

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