Tim Johnson (South Dakota)

Tim Johnson

Democratic Party

Prior offices

South Dakota House of Representatives

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South Dakota State Senate

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Representative U. S. House of Representatives

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U.S. Senate South Dakota

Successor: Mike Rounds

Predecessor: Larry Pressler

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Compensation

Net worth

$1,201,522

Education

Bachelor's

University of South Dakota, 1969

Graduate

University of South Dakota, 1970

Law

University of South Dakota, 1975

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1969 - 1969

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Tim Johnson (b. December 28, 1946, in Canton, S.D.) was a Democratic member of the U.S. Senate from the state of South Dakota. Johnson was first elected to the Senate in 1996 and served until 2015.

Johnson passed away on October 9, 2024.

Biography

Johnson served in the United States Army in 1969. He received his bachelor's degree and his master's degree from the University of South Dakota in 1969 and 1970, respectfully. He earned his J.D. from the University of South Dakota in 1975. Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Johnson served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 10 years.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Johnson's academic, professional, and political career:

• 1971-1972: Served as budget advisor, Michigan State Senate
• 1975: Began practicing law in Vermillion, S.D.
• 1979-1982: Served as a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives
• 1983-1986: Served as a member of the South Dakota Senate
• 1985: Served as Clay County Deputy State’s Attorney
• 1987-1997: Served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota
• 1997-2015: Served as U.S. Senator from South Dakota

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2013-2014

Johnson served on the following committees:

• Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Chair
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment
  • Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection Members
  • Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development
• Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
  • Subcommittee on Department of Defense
  • Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
• Energy and Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Water and Power
  • Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining
  • Subcommittee on Energy
• United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

2011-2012

Johnson served on the following Senate committees:

• Appropriations
• Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
• Energy and Natural Resources
• Indian Affairs

Key votes

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Johnson's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.

National security

John Brennan CIA nomination

Johnson voted for the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination.

Economy

Farm bill

On February 4, 2014, the Democratic controlled Senate approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill. It passed the Senate with a vote of 68-32. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that will kick in if or when prices drop; however, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states. Johnson joined with 46 other Democratic senators in favor of the bill.

2014 Budget

On January 16, 2014, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014. The Senate voted 72-26 for the 1,582 page bill, with 17 Republicans and 55 Democrats voting in favor of the bill. The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations. It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency and left the Affordable Care Act without any drastic cuts. Johnson voted with the Democratic Party in favor of the bill.

No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013

Johnson voted for H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill.

Government shutdown

See also: United States budget debate, 2013

During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Johnson voted with the Democratic Party for the bill.

Immigration

Mexico-U.S. border

Johnson voted against Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines.

Social issues

Violence Against Women (2013)

Johnson voted for S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans.

Previous congressional sessions

Fiscal cliff

Johnson voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003, while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by a 89-8 vote on January 1, 2013.

Issues

Iran

Johnson, along with Senators Carl Levin and Dianne Feinstein sent a letter to the Director of National Intelligence asking for regular updates on Iran's nuclear weapons program. Their requests included "... periodic briefings from the Intelligence Community, every 45 days beginning on January 30, 2014, concerning whether Iran is acting consistent with the terms of the interim agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear activities."

Gay marriage

Johnson switched from his previous opposition of same-sex marriage to endorsing it on April 8, 2013. He stated, "After lengthy consideration, my views have evolved sufficiently to support marriage equality legislation. This position doesn't require any religious denomination to alter any of its tenets; it simply forbids government from discrimination regarding who can marry whom."

Elections

2014

Johnson did not run for re-election in 2014.

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Tim Johnson, click [show] to expand the section.

2008 On November 4, 2008, Johnson won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Joel Dykstra in the general election. U.S. Senate, South Dakota General Election, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Tim Johnson Incumbent 62.5% 237,889      Republican Joel Dykstra 37.5% 142,784 Total Votes 380,673 2002 On November 5, 2002, Tim Johnson won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated John Thune (R) and Kurt Evans (L) in the general election. U.S. Senate, South Dakota General Election, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Tim Johnson incumbent 49.6% 167,481      Republican John Thune 49.5% 166,949      Libertarian Kurt Evans 0.9% 3,071 Total Votes 337,501 1996 On November 5, 1996, Tim Johnson won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Larry Pressler (R) in the general election. U.S. Senate, South Dakota General Election, 1996 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Tim Johnson 51.3% 166,533      Republican Larry Pressler 48.7% 157,954 Total Votes 324,487 1994 On November 8, 1994, Tim Johnson won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Jan Berkhout (R) and Ronald Wieczorek (I) in the general election. U.S. House, South Dakota at-large district General Election, 1994 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Tim Johnson incumbent 59.8% 183,036      Republican Jan Berkhout 36.6% 112,054      Independent Ronald Wieczorek 3.5% 10,832 Total Votes 305,922 1992 On November 3, 1992, Tim Johnson won re-election to the United States House. He defeated John Timmer (R), Ronald Wieczorek (I), Ann Balakier (I) and Robert Newland (L) in the general election. U.S. House, South Dakota at-large district General Election, 1992 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Tim Johnson incumbent 69.1% 230,070      Republican John Timmer 26.8% 89,375      Independent Ronald Wieczorek 2% 6,746      Independent Ann Balakier 0.8% 2,780      Libertarian Robert Newland 1.2% 3,931 Total Votes 332,902 1990 On November 6, 1990, Tim Johnson won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Don Frankenfeld (R) in the general election. U.S. House, South Dakota at-large district General Election, 1990 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Tim Johnson incumbent 67.6% 173,814      Republican Don Frankenfeld 32.4% 83,484 Total Votes 257,298 1988 On November 8, 1988, Tim Johnson won re-election to the United States House. He defeated David Volk (R) in the general election. U.S. House, South Dakota at-large district General Election, 1988 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Tim Johnson incumbent 71.7% 223,759      Republican David Volk 28.3% 88,157 Total Votes 311,916 1986 On November 4, 1986, Tim Johnson won election to the United States House. He defeated Dale Bell (R) in the general election. U.S. House, South Dakota at-large district General Election, 1986 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Tim Johnson 59.2% 171,462      Republican Dale Bell 40.8% 118,261 Total Votes 289,723

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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Tim Johnson campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2008	U.S. Senate (South Dakota)	Won	$6,423,536	N/A**
2002	U.S. Senate (South Dakota)	Won	$6,972,113	N/A**
Grand total			$13,395,649	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.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Johnson's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $550,044 to $1,853,000. That averages to $1,201,522, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic Senate members in 2012 of $13,566,333.90. Johnson ranked as the 62nd most wealthy senator in 2012. Between 2004 and 2012, Johnson's calculated net worth increased by an average of 11 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Tim Johnson Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2004	$632,043
2012	$1,201,522
Growth from 2004 to 2012:	90%
Average annual growth:	11%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). In the 113th Congress, Johnson was the chair of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee. Johnson received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Lawyers/Law Firms industry.

From 1989-2014, 24.38 percent of Johnson's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Tim Johnson (South Dakota) Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$19,312,829
Total Spent	$17,853,026
Chair of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Lawyers/Law Firms	$1,499,341
Securities & Investment	$961,837
Health Professionals	$775,519
Insurance	$738,643
Commercial Banks	$732,974
% total in top industry	7.76%
% total in top two industries	12.74%
% total in top five industries	24.38%

Analysis

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracked the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she voted most and least often. The results included a member from each party.

Johnson most often voted with:

• Richard Durbin
• Susan Collins

Johnson least often voted with:

• Joe Manchin
• Mike Lee (Utah)

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Johnson was a "rank-and-file Democrat," as of September 2014. This was the same rating Johnson received in July 2013.

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Johnson missed 402 of 5,623 roll call votes from January 1997 to July 2014. This amounted to 7.1 percent, which was worse than the median of 2.0 percent among senators serving as of July 2014.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Johnson paid his congressional staff a total of $2,723,199 in 2011. He ranked 22nd on the list of the highest paid Democratic senatorial staff salaries and ranked 29th overall of the highest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, South Dakota ranked 16th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.

Staff bonuses

According to an analysis by CNN, Johnson was one of nearly 25 percent of House members who gave their staff bonuses in 2012. Johnson's staff was given an apparent $33,371.67 in bonus money.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Johnson ranked 30th in the liberal rankings in 2013.

2012

Johnson was one of two members who ranked 22nd in the liberal rankings in 2012.

2011

Johnson ranked 28th in the liberal rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Tim Johnson voted with the Democratic Party 96.3 percent of the time, which ranked 16th among the 53 Senate Democratic members as of August 2014.

2013

Tim Johnson voted with the Democratic Party 95.6 percent of the time, which ranked 22nd among the 52 Senate Democratic members as of June 2013.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Johnson and his wife, Barbara, have three children.

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term Tim + Johnson + South Dakota + Senate

Tim Johnson News Feed

See also

• BP News: South Dakota Senator announces plan to retire in 2014
• BP News: South Dakota Senator backs same-sex marriage
• United States Senate
• United States congressional delegations from South Dakota
• List of U.S. Congress incumbents not running for re-election in 2014
• U.S. Senate delegation from South Dakota
• United States Senate elections in South Dakota, 2014

External links

 

• Biographies:
  • U.S. Congress
• Political profiles:
  • GovTrack
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Roll Call
• Financial (federal level):
  • FEC contributions
  • OpenSecrets.org
  • LegiStorm.com
• Interest group ratings:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions:
  • On The Issues
  • Project Vote Smart
• Legislation:
  • Congress.gov
• Public statements:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Voting record:
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Washington Post
• Media appearances:
  • C-SPAN
  • IMDb
• Media coverage:
  • Bloomberg
  • New York Times
  • Washington Post

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Larry Pressler	U.S. Senate - South Dakota 1997-2015	Succeeded by Mike Rounds

[show]

South Dakota's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Mike Rounds (R)

John Thune (R)

Representatives

Dusty Johnson (R)

Republican Party (3)