Steve Johnson

Steve Johnson earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Idaho in 1972 and a graduate degree in 1988. His career experience includes working as an educator, farmer, rancher, and small-scale logger.[1]

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Idaho State Senate election

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Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased Aug. 7, 2022

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m Steve Johnson, and I’m running for Idaho State Senate, District 1, as an Independent write-in candidate.

I’m running for State Senate as a write-in because my opponent, Scott Herndon, has a personal agenda that is not what Idaho families need or want.

I know District 1 very well. Mom and Dad bought our family farm in 1957, and it has been home ever since. I graduated from Sandpoint High School and the University of Idaho. I’ve been a railroad laborer, a farmhand, a small-scale logger, a rancher and a farmer, and a small business owner. I spent most of my 42-year education career here in District 1, as an elementary and high school teacher and a principal.

I believe in a conservative fiscal policy, supporting public education, protecting our rural lifestyle, and traditional Idaho values. As your State Senator, I will work on the issues that matter most to our community.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

When I’m elected to the Idaho State Senate, I will vote to double the homeowner’s exemption to $250,000, so we Idahoans can stay in the homes we worked so hard for.While my opponent Scott Herndon supports pulling money out of public education, I support funding education in Idaho to build a better economy, and support Idahoans in having the quality of life we all want for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren. When I’m elected to the Idaho State Senate, I will vote to support education funding, including the Quality Education Act, which will bring our education up to the standards we need to produce an educated workforce ready to work in today’s trades, healthcare, and technology fields here, in Idaho.In the last ten years, the population of Bonner and Boundary Counties has grown by a whopping 21%. Growth may be unavoidable, but it cannot happen at the cost of our way of life. As your State Senator, I will fight to preserve our open spaces, rural lifestyle, and access to public lands.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about preserving our rural lifestyle. Keeping property taxes affordable is key to that, so people can afford to stay in the homes they’ve worked so hard for. Funding education is also key, because it keeps rural schools open and funds important vocational programs in our high schools, which give our kids and grandkids opportunities to stay in Idaho in high-paying trade jobs. That way, they can continue to enjoy the rural lifestyle they had growing up, and pass that legacy on to future generations.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I looked up to my dad. Always. He had the ability to listen to each of us (my 3 brothers and me) and conveyed to us that he had faith that we could do anything we set our minds to. Although our career paths were very different from his, since he never had the chance to finish high school, he had the ability the empathize with my brothers and me throughout our adolescence and into adulthood. He once told me he regretted never having meaningful work. That was a big motivator for me to choose a career in education - to make sure that MY work was always meaningful, and it always was.

The ability to listen attentively and to have empathy are the examples I have strived to follow all my life.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The characteristics that are important for an elected official are: integrity, the ability to actively listen, and the willingness to cooperate and reach consensus.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am an excellent listener, a person willing to work with others, and I am always willing to learn.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

We had just moved to our family farm in Sagle, Idaho, in 1957, when my brother heard on the radio that the Soviet Union had launched a satellite called Sputnik. We all went outside that night awn watched as Sputnik moved across our sky. It felt like it was an exciting time and that something dramatic was happening.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was farmhand. I started working on the family farm in 1966, and I'm still working on the same farm!

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The ideal relationship between a governor and state legislature is the ability to govern in a manner that produces beneficial and meaningful laws and policies for ALL the citizens of our state.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

The greatest challenge the State of Idaho will face over the next decade is continuing to have a functioning government that can overcome extremist dysfunctional positions and produce laws, policies, and regulations that actually benefit the people of our great state, while preserving our rural lifestyle and the amazing quality of life that Idaho is known for.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

Idaho has a bicameral state legislature, and it is designed to be very effective - when it functions.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

State legislators, first and foremost, need to authentically represent their constituents, protecting their interests and fighting for the issues that matter to them. In some cases, previous experience in government and politics could be beneficial, but the primary requirement is integrity, ensuring that they remain true to the values of their constituents.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

It's essential to build relationships with other legislators. Nothing can be accomplished unless a consensus is reached. Reaching consensus requires building relationships to find points to agree upon and points where compromise can be reached.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Redistricting should result from a bi-partisan, independent committee that represents the spectrum of Idaho demographics.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

When I am elected to Idaho State Senator, I hope to be appointed to the Education Committee, the Agriculture Affairs Committee, and Local Government and Taxation Committee.

If you are a current legislator, what appealed to you about your current committees?

N/A

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

The out going senator for District 1, Senator Jim Woodward, was an effective legislator who knows how to work with other legislators.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I am looking forward to serving my district as their State Senator, and I am focused on accomplishing that.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

When I was teaching at our local alternative high school, a young mother was able to secure Medicaid for herself after the birth of her child. Having regular access to health care gave her a feeling of safety and security; it removed the fear of a financially catastrophic medical event that could derail her plans for her future. Medicaid allowed her to focus on working part-time and continuing her education, rather than getting trapped in a low-wage job just because it offered health insurance. She was able to earn an Associate's Degree that allowed her to earn a good income, which helped her get off of state aid and provide a stable home and future for herself and her child.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

In the face of a true emergency, the governor needs to have the ability to act quickly to use emergency powers. The Legislature should, as always, act as a check on the power of the governor, but a legislative body is simply not nimble enough to respond immediately to emergencies or emergent situations.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Compromise is essential for policymaking. Lawmakers start from their own positions and it is imperative to meet in the middle to accomplish anything when it comes to getting bills out of committee and laws passed in the Legislature.

Idaho House of Representatives election

Steve Johnson did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.