Raymond Johnston Jr.

Raymond Johnston Jr.

Democratic Party

Prior offices

Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61

Successor: Leonela Felix

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Elections and appointments

Last election

September 8, 2020

Personal

Profession

Law enforcement

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Raymond Johnston Jr. (Democratic Party) was a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, representing District 61. He assumed office in 2011. He left office on January 4, 2021.

Johnston (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Rhode Island House of Representatives to represent District 61. He lost in the Democratic primary on September 8, 2020.

Biography

Johnston attended Roger Williams University where he studied Administration of Justice. His professional experience includes working for the Pawtucket Police Department. He also sat on the Pawtucket Democratic City Committee Ward 1.

Committee assignments

2019-2020

Johnston was assigned to the following committees:

• Corporations Committee, First Vice Chairman
• Environment and Natural Resources Committee
• Municipal Government Committee
• Oversight Committee, First Vice Chairman

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2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Rhode Island committee assignments, 2017
• Corporations, Vice chair
• Municipal Government
• Oversight, Vice chair

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Johnston served on the following committees:

Rhode Island committee assignments, 2015
• Municipal Government, Secretary
• Oversight, Secretary
• Corporations

2013-2014

In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Johnston served on the following committees:

Rhode Island committee assignments, 2013
• Municipal Government, Secretary
• Corporations

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Johnston served on these committees:

Rhode Island committee assignments, 2011
• Corporations
• Municipal Government

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2020

See also: Rhode Island House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61

Leonela Felix defeated Robert Wheeler in the general election for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Leonela Felix (D)	63.8	3,500
		Robert Wheeler (R)	36.0	1,973
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	12

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,485
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61

Leonela Felix defeated incumbent Raymond Johnston Jr. in the Democratic primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61 on September 8, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Leonela Felix	58.6	988
		Raymond Johnston Jr.	41.4	697

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,685
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Robert Wheeler advanced from the Republican primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61.

2018

See also: Rhode Island House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61

Incumbent Raymond Johnston Jr. defeated Nathan Luciano in the general election for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Raymond Johnston Jr. (D)	68.8	2,646
		Nathan Luciano (R)	30.8	1,184
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	15

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,845
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61

Incumbent Raymond Johnston Jr. advanced from the Democratic primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61 on September 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Raymond Johnston Jr.	100.0	1,038

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,038
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61

Nathan Luciano advanced from the Republican primary for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61 on September 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nathan Luciano	100.0	185

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 185
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2016

See also: Rhode Island House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Rhode Island House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on September 13, 2016, and a general election would have taken place on November 8, 2016, if no candidate had won a majority of votes in the primary. The candidate filing deadline was June 29, 2016.

Incumbent Raymond Johnston, Jr. defeated James Obenchain in the Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61 general election.

Rhode Island House of Representatives, District 61 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Raymond Johnston, Jr. Incumbent	65.22%	2,886
	Independent	James Obenchain	34.78%	1,539
Total Votes				4,425
Source: Rhode Island State Board of Elections

Incumbent Raymond Johnston, Jr. ran unopposed in the Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61 Democratic primary.

Rhode Island House of Representatives, District 61 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Democratic	Raymond Johnston, Jr. Incumbent (unopposed)

2014

See also: Rhode Island House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for the Rhode Island House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on September 9, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 25, 2014. Incumbent Raymond Johnston Jr. was unopposed in the Democratic primary and was unchallenged in the general election.

2012

See also: Rhode Island House of Representatives elections, 2012

Raymond won re-election in the 2012 election for Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61. Johnston was unopposed in the September 11 Democratic primary and was unopposed in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.

Rhode Island House of Representatives, District 61, General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Raymond Johnston Jr. Incumbent	98.3%	4,233
	Other	Write-in	1.7%	72
Total Votes				4,305

2010

See also: Rhode Island House of Representatives elections, 2010

Johnston defeated John Enright, Sr., in the September 14 Democratic primary and defeated Republican Brad Simonds in the November 2 general election.

Rhode Island House District 61
Candidates		Votes
Raymond Johnston Jr. (D)		2815
Brad Simonds (R)		1514

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Raymond Johnston Jr. did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Raymond Johnston Jr. campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2020	Rhode Island House of Representatives District 61	Lost primary	$25,330	N/A**
2016	Rhode Island House of Representatives, District 61	Won	$10,587	N/A**
2014	Rhode Island House of Representatives, District 61	Won	$10,000	N/A**
2012	Not Found	Won	$13,900	N/A**
2010	Rhode Island House of Representatives, District 61	Won	$12,530	N/A**
Grand total			$72,347	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Rhode Island

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Rhode Island scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].

2020

In 2020, the Rhode Island State Legislature was in session from January 7 to August 30.

• National Federation of Independent Business

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

• The American Conservative Union

Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2019

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show].
In 2019, the Rhode Island General Assembly was in session from January 1 through June 30. ACLU of Rhode Island Legislators are tracked on their votes related to civil liberties. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2018

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show].
In 2018, the Rhode Island General Assembly was in session from January 2 through June 25. Rhode Island ACLU Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to civil liberties. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].
In 2017, the Rhode Island General Assembly was in session from January 3 through June 20. Rhode Island ACLU Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to civil liberties. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2016

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show].

In 2016, the Rhode Island General Assembly was in session from January 5 through June 18. Environmental Council of Rhode Island: 2015-2016 report card Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues. National Federation of Independent Business in Rhode Island: 2016 voting record Legislators are scored on their votes on small business issues. Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity: 2016 session freedom index Legislators are scored by the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity on their votes "affecting free-market, small-government, or constitutional principles." Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity: 38 Studios voting record Legislators are scored based on their 38 Studios votes. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2015

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show].

In 2015, the Rhode Island General Assembly was in session from January 6 through June 25. Environmental Council of Rhode Island: 2015-2016 report card Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues. Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity: 2015 session freedom index Legislators are scored by the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity on their votes "affecting free-market, small-government, or constitutional principles." The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2014

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show].

In 2014, the Rhode Island General Assembly was in session from January 7 to June 23. American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island: 2013-2014 Voting Record Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills related to civil liberties. Environment Council of Rhode Island: 2013-2014 Green Report Card Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. National Federation of Independent Business in Rhode Island: 2013-2014 Voting Record Legislators are scored on their votes on small business issues. Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity: 2014 session freedom index Legislators are scored by the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity on their votes "affecting free-market, small-government, or constitutional principles."

2013

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show].

In 2013, the Rhode Island General Assembly was in session from January 1 to July 5. American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island: 2013-2014 Voting Record Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills related to civil liberties. Environment Council of Rhode Island: 2013-2014 Green Report Card Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. National Federation of Independent Business in Rhode Island: 2013-2014 Voting Record Legislators are scored on their votes on small business issues. Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity: 2013 session freedom index Legislators are scored by the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity on their votes "affecting free-market, small-government, or constitutional principles."

2012

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show].

In 2012, the Rhode Island General Assembly was in session from January 3 to June 13. Environment Council of Rhode Island: 2011-2012 Green Report Card Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity: 2012 session freedom index Legislators are scored by the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity on their votes "affecting free-market, small-government, or constitutional principles."

2011

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show].
In 2011, the Rhode Island General Assembly was in session from January 4 to July 1. Environment Council of Rhode Island: 2011-2012 Green Report Card Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Johnston and his wife, Donna, have one son.

See also

2020 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

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External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Profile from Open States
• Biography from Project Vote Smart
• Legislative Profile from Project Vote Smart
• Campaign contributions via Follow the Money

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Peter Kilmartin (D)	Rhode Island House of Representatives - District 61 2011–2021	Succeeded by Leonela Felix (D)

[show]

Current members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:K. Shekarchi

Majority Leader:Christopher Blazejewski

Minority Leader:Michael Chippendale

Representatives

District 1

Edith Ajello (D)

District 2

Christopher Blazejewski (D)

District 3

Nathan Biah (D)

District 4

Rebecca Kislak (D)

District 5

Anthony DeSimone (D)

District 6

Raymond Hull (D)

District 7

David Morales (D)

District 8

John Lombardi (D)

District 9

Enrique Sanchez (D)

District 10

Scott Slater (D)

District 11

Grace Diaz (D)

District 12

Jose Batista (D)

District 13

Ramon Perez (D)

District 14

Charlene Lima (D)

District 15

Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung (R)

District 16

Brandon Potter (D)

District 17

Jacquelyn Baginski (D)

District 18

Arthur Handy (D)

District 19

Joseph McNamara (D)

District 20

David Bennett (D)

District 21

Camille Vella-Wilkinson (D)

District 22

Joseph Solomon (D)

District 23

K. Shekarchi (D)

District 24

Evan Shanley (D)

District 25

Thomas Noret (D)

District 26

Patricia Morgan (R)

District 27

Patricia Serpa (D)

District 28

George Nardone (R)

District 29

Sherry Roberts (R)

District 30

Justine Caldwell (D)

District 31

Julie Casimiro (D)

District 32

Robert Craven (D)

District 33

Carol McEntee (D)

District 34

Teresa Tanzi (D)

District 35

Kathleen Fogarty (D)

District 36

Tina Spears (D)

District 37

Samuel Azzinaro (D)

District 38

Brian Kennedy (D)

District 39

Megan Cotter (D)

District 40

Michael Chippendale (R)

District 41

Robert Quattrocchi (R)

District 42

Edward Cardillo (D)

District 43

Deborah Fellela (D)

District 44

Gregory Costantino (D)

District 45

Mia Ackerman (D)

District 46

Mary Shallcross-Smith (D)

District 47

David Place (R)

District 48

Brian Newberry (R)

District 49

Jon Brien (I)

District 50

Stephen Casey (D)

District 51

Robert Phillips (D)

District 52

Alex Marszalkowski (D)

District 53

Brian Rea (R)

District 54

William O'Brien (D)

District 55

Arthur Corvese (D)

District 56

Joshua Giraldo (D)

District 57

Brandon Voas (D)

District 58

Cherie Cruz (D)

District 59

Jennifer Stewart (D)

District 60

Karen Alzate (D)

District 61

Leonela Felix (D)

District 62

Mary Messier (D)

District 63

Katherine Kazarian (D)

District 64

Brianna Henries (D)

District 65

Matthew Dawson (D)

District 66

Jennifer Boylan (D)

District 67

Jason Knight (D)

District 68

June Speakman (D)

District 69

Susan Donovan (D)

District 70

John Edwards (D)

District 71

Michelle McGaw (D)

District 72

Terri-Denise Cortvriend (D)

District 73

Marvin Abney (D)

District 74

Alex Finkelman (D)

District 75

Lauren Carson (D)

Democratic Party (65)

Republican Party (9)

Independent (1)