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Jarvis Johnson

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This article is about the Texan politician. For the online content creator, see Jarvis Johnson (YouTuber).
Jarvis Johnson
Johnson in 2022
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 139th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 19, 2016
Preceded bySylvester Turner
Member of the Houston City Council
from the B District
In office
January 2, 2006 – January 2, 2012
Preceded byCarol Galloway
Succeeded byJerry Davis
Personal details
Born
Jarvis Diallo Johnson

(1971-09-27) September 27, 1971 (age 53)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseCharlene Ward Johnson (divorced)[1]
EducationTexas Southern University (BA)

Jarvis Diallo Johnson (born September 27, 1971) is an American entrepreneur and politician currently serving in the Texas House of Representatives. A Democrat, he has represented the 139th district since 2016 and previously served on the Houston City Council.

Early life and career

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Johnson grew up in Houston's Fifth Ward.

In 1996, Johnson graduated from Texas Southern University with a degree in speech communications. In 1995, while in college, he became executive director of Phoenix Outreach Youth Center,[2] ending his affiliation with them in 2005.[3], the same year he was elected to the Houston City Council to represent District B.

Political career

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Houston City Council (2005–2009)

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In 2005, Johnson ran for Houston City Council District B, a seat held by term limited Carol Mims Galloway. In an eight candidate race,[4] Johnson received nearly 4,000 votes, earning a spot in the December run off election. In December 2005, Johnson won the Houston City Council District B race by over 60% of the vote.[5] He was reelected in the 2007 elections and 2009 elections.

Johnson inspects a worn house in District B.

Johnson served as chair of the City of Houston's Human Services and Technology Access Committee.[6] He also served on the Houston City Council's Committee on Budget and Fiscal Affairs,[7] and the Housing and Community Development Committee,[8] among others.

Johnson during the annual toy give away

In 2010, a police officer claimed Johnson failed to stop his vehicle when he tried to pull him over for speeding. He was arrested and charged with evading arrest, and later a grand jury cleared him of the charges, deciding there was not evidence that he did anything wrong.[9][10]

2010 U.S. House of Representatives campaign

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On January 5, 2010, Johnson announced his candidacy for Texas's 18th Congressional District seat, a seat held by incumbent Sheila Jackson Lee.[11]

Jackson Lee was in her third term on the Houston City Council in 1994 when she beat incumbent U.S. Representative Craig Washington on the theme that he was out of touch with his district. When Johnson announced his candidacy in 2010, he had just won a third term to a council seat within the 18th Congressional District. The congressional district encompasses much of urban Houston and is about 40% black with the remainder split between whites and Hispanics. It accounts for about a quarter of the city's more than 2 million residents.[12]

Texas House of Representatives (2016–2025)

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Johnson ran in the 2016 primary election, advanced to the runoff election, and won a special election called to determine an interim representative for 2016 and won the primary election runoff. Since he was unopposed in November 2016, Johnson winning the special election and runoff meant he was the District 139 state representative who would succeed Sylvester Turner. After 26 years, Turner stepped down from his state seat to become Houston's mayor.

Johnson won the May 7 special election, with 85% of the vote, to finish out the remainder of Turner's term as state representative of District 139. Turner swore him in,[13] allowing Johnson to serve through December and immediately, fully assume former Turner's seniority status and his roles that include vice-chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

When Johnson ran for the Texas Senate, Charlene Ward Johnson won the Democratic primary to replace him. She ran unopposed, to be the district's state representative in 2025.[14]

Legislation

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Johnson advocated for education funding reform for Texas' HBCUs, noting disparity between them and other higher education institutions.[15][16]

Johnson was the sole member to speak against HB 2908, a law codifying protections for police and peace officers, strongly opposing the bill on the grounds that it could make questioning an officer an act of resistance and therefore a hate crime.[17]

For three consecutive legislative sessions (in 2019, 2021, and 2023), Johnson filed bills to end Confederate Heroes Day as a state holiday. The bills did not make it out of the House State Affairs Committee, and Speaker Dade Phelan who chaired the committee did not bring up the bill for a vote.[18]

Johnson also filed multiple bills to apply pollution limits for concrete plants, which affect the air quality for districts such as the ones he represented, but these bills did not pass.[19][20]

2024 Texas Senate campaign

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Johnson announced his campaign for the Texas Senate in the 15th district, the seat vacated by incumbent Democrat John Whitmire upon winning the 2023 Houston mayoral election. He placed first in the primary with 36% of the vote, advancing to a May runoff with Molly Cook.[21]

Electoral history

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2005

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Houston City Council District B Election 2005[22]
Candidate Votes % ±
Willie J. Hunter 1,049 7.21%
Tommie Ruth Allen 1,456 10.01%
Anna Gray 426 2.93%
Charles A. Ingram 1,004 6.90%
✓ Felicia Galloway-Hall 5,462 37.54%
✓ Jarvis Johnson 3,830 26.33%
Angle S. Bush 326 2.24%
Robin German-Curtis 995 6.84%
Houston City Council District B Election 2005, Runoff[23]
Candidate Votes % ±
Felicia Galloway-Hall 2,146 39.67%
✓ Jarvis Johnson 3,264 60.33%

2007

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Houston City Council District B Election 2007[24]
Candidate Votes % ±
✓ Jarvis Johnson 8,254 76.95%
Kenneth Perkins 2,473 23.05%

2009

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Houston City Council District B Election 2009[25]
Candidate Votes % ±
Roger Bowden 2,204 18.01%
✓ Jarvis Johnson 10,033 81.99%

References

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  1. ^ Willey, Jessica (26 January 2024). "HCC Trustee's questionable drink during meeting sparks speculation and board response". ABC 13 Eyewitness News (ABC Houston affiliate). Archived from the original on 29 November 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  2. ^ Martin, Betty L. (15 July 2004). "Phoenix Outreach nurtures youth". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Questions raised about councilman's ex-charity". ABC 13 Eyewitness News (ABC Houston affiliate). 12 August 2010. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  4. ^ Stiles, Matt (17 October 2005). "ELECTION 2005: No shortage of hopefuls to represent District B". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  5. ^ Stiles, Matt (11 December 2005). "Lovell wins close council race". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  6. ^ "Council Committee on Human Services & Technology: Council Member Jarvis Johnson, Chair" (PDF). City of Houston. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  7. ^ "City of Houston Council Committee on Budget & Fiscal Affairs Council, Agenda (May 3, 2011)" (PDF). City of Houston. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  8. ^ "Housing and Community Development Committee, Agenda (January 21, 2010)" (PDF). City of Houston. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  9. ^ Johnson, Laurie (11 October 2010). "Grand Jury Clears Houston Councilmember". Houston Public Media (NPR and PBS Houston affiliate). Archived from the original on 3 January 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  10. ^ "Grand jury: No evading arrest charges for Houston City Councilman Jarvis Johnson". KHOU 11 (CBS Houston affiliate). 11 October 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  11. ^ "Council Member Jarvis Johnson officially announces he is running for Houston's 18th Congressional District seat". 6 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  12. ^ "US Rep Sheila Jackson Lee gets rare challenge". Retrieved 2010-02-15. [dead link‍]
  13. ^ "Honorable Sylvester Turner to Swear in Jarvis Johnson as State Rep. for Texas District 139 – African American News". www.aframnews.com. Archived from the original on 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
  14. ^ Hansen, Holly (29 May 2024). "Charlene Ward Johnson Wins Democratic Primary Runoff to Replace Rep. Jarvis Johnson in Texas House". The Texan. Archived from the original on 26 July 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  15. ^ McCardel, Michael (April 23, 2022). "State lawmaker fighting for HBCU funding parity". WFAA. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  16. ^ Britto, Brittany (June 26, 2021). "History shows Texas skimps on Prairie View A&M's land-grant funds". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  17. ^ Mason, Gail (April 2022). "Blue Lives Matter and Hate Crime Law". Race and Justice. 12 (2): 411–430. doi:10.1177/2153368720933665 – via SagePub.
  18. ^ Barragan, James (18 January 2023). "Texas lawmakers want to end state holiday commemorating Confederate veterans". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on 5 October 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  19. ^ Erin, Douglas (24 November 2020). "As Texas grows, communities face an unwelcome neighbor: concrete companies. Homeowners have few options". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  20. ^ Martinez, Alejandra (18 November 2022). "Texans affected by pollution from concrete plants push state agency to tighten regulations". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024.
  21. ^ Bugenhagen, Faith (March 5, 2024). "Frontrunners Jarvis Johnson and Molly Cook Are In A Runoff For Former State Senator John Whitmire's Seat". Houston Press. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  22. ^ "City of Houston eGovernment" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-01-19.
  23. ^ "City of Houston eGovernment" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  24. ^ "City of Houston eGovernment" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-01-19.
  25. ^ "City of Houston eGovernment" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-07-16.
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