Ron Johnson
United States Senator from Wisconsin
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2011 Serving with Herb Kohl
Preceded by	Russ Feingold
Personal details
Born	April 8, 1955 (1955-04-08) (age 56) Mankato, Minnesota
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Jane Johnson
Residence	Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Minnesota (B.A.)
Occupation	Businessperson, Politician
Religion	Lutheran
Website	Official website

Ronald Harold "Ron" Johnson (born April 8, 1955) is the junior United States Senator for Wisconsin, and a member of the Republican Party. and is associated with the Tea party movement.

He is the chief executive officer of PACUR, LLC, a polyester and plastics manufacturer.

Early life and education

Johnson was born in Mankato, Minnesota. After graduating from the University of Minnesota, he married Jane, the daughter of the businessman Howard Curler, co-founder of Curwod Industries, now part of the multinational Bemis Company. Her brother, Jeff Curler, is Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Bemis.

Johnson worked as an accountant for Jostens, a high school- and college class ring supplier, as well a sports-championship ring supplier, including for the Super Bowl, while attending night school for an MBA. He completed his classes, but did not receive his degree because he did not finish his thesis.

Business career

In 1979, he moved to Wisconsin with his wife, and started PACUR, LLC, a custom sheet extruder company, with his brother-in-law, Patrick Curler, for whom the company is named. For nearly one year, Johnson worked as the accountant and as a machine operator, trading 12-hour shifts with his brother-in-law. The company later expanded into the area of medical device packaging which involved hiring salespeople and exporting products to other countries. Johnson managed the sales as well as the financial aspects of the business, and ultimately purchased the company outright.

U.S. Senate

2010 election

Johnson speaking in February 2011.

The 2010 U.S. Senate campaign was Johnson's first run for elective office. He was described as a "political blank slate" because he had no history of campaigning or taking a position as an elected official. In the September 14, 2010, Republican primary, Johnson, running a largely self-financed campaign, defeated Watertown businessman Dave Westlake, taking 85% of the vote, with 10% going to Westlake and the remaining 5% going to Stephen Finn. In the November 2, 2010, general election, he defeated Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold.

As of November 1, 2010, Johnson had contributed more than $8.2 million to his own campaign, representing 64% of total campaign contributions. In June 2011, Johnson's financial disclosures showed Pacur, where he was CEO for 13 years until elected to the Senate, had paid him $10 million in deferred compensation in early 2011. Johnson said that he, as CEO, had personally determined the dollar amount, which was "totally unrelated" to the almost $9 million that he had given to his campaign.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
  • Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information and International Security
  • Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Special Committee on Aging

Political positions

Child Victims Act

Johnson opposed a Wisconsin bill that would have eliminated the time limit for future child, sex abuse victims to bring lawsuits and allowed an additional three years for past victims to sue. Johnson testified before the Wisconsin Senate, in January 2010, on the severe financial impact the bill would have on the employers of perpetrators, asserting that the law, if enacted, might actually reduce the reporting of child sex abuse. At the time of his testimony, Johnson was on the Finance Council of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay. In late September 2010, Johnson indicated that the legislation would have financially crippled organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs. Though he said the punishment for child sex abuse should be, "severe and swift," he was nonetheless criticized by victims' rights groups such as the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, and by his opponent, Feingold.

Recovery Act

Ron Johnson has strongly opposed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as a candidate. He launched his campaign by telling the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that, "We would have been far better off not spending any of the money and let the recovery happen as it was going to happen." The newspaper later reported that Johnson himself sought stimulus money in 2009 while he led a nonprofit educational organization in Oshkosh.

Fiscal issues

Johnson has opposed increased government spending and the federal stimulus. He has supported broad reduction in federal tax rates, simplifying regulations on business and free-market health care solutions.

When asked if Johnson would get rid of home mortgage interest deductions (claiming mortgage interest as a tax-deductible expense), he said he'd be willing to "horse trade" it away.

Global warming

Johnson has called scientists who attribute global warming to man-made causes "crazy" and has said the theory is "lunacy." He has said the source of the climate change is "sunspot activity or just something in the geologic eons of time."

Health care

Johnson is opposed to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In an op-ed article written for the Wall Street Journal, Johnson spoke of his personal experience with his daughter, who was born with a congenital heart defect and suggested that the life-saving treatment she received was only possible because of the United States' free-market health care system.

Offshore drilling

When asked about allowing offshore drilling for oil in the Great Lakes, Johnson responded, "We have to get the oil where it is, but we need to do it responsibly. We need to utilize American ingenuity and American technology to make sure we do it environmentally sensitively and safely." After facing criticism from the Feingold campaign, Johnson said that his answer did not mean he supports drilling in the Great Lakes.

During a debate, Johnson stated that he is "disappointed that the Obama administration is launching an assault on BP" after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Johnson disclosed that he once owned more than $100,000 worth of stock in BP, which has since been sold.

Social issues

Johnson is opposed to same-sex marriage and the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell". He opposes abortion but would allow it in cases of incest, rape, or when the mother's life is in danger. He opposes the funding of research that uses embryonic stem cells. Johnson has stated he disagrees with it morally and also has said that eliminating the funding of the research would help balance the federal budget.

Tea Party

Johnson appeared in Madison, Wisconsin, at the Tea Party rally for Tax Day, April 15, 2010. He attracted the attention of the Tea Party movement when he gave two emotional speeches at Tea Party rallies. According to The New York Times, he said he "did kind of spring out of the Tea Party" and is glad to be associated with it.

Electoral history

Personal life

Johnson and his wife Jane have three children, who are all graduates of the University of Wisconsin.

United States Senators from Wisconsin Class 1 Dodge · Doolittle · Carpenter · Cameron · Sawyer · Mitchell · Quarles · La Follette, Sr. · La Follette, Jr. · McCarthy · Proxmire · Kohl Class 3 Walker · Durkee · Howe · Carpenter · Cameron · Spooner · Vilas · Spooner · Stephenson · Husting · Lenroot · Blaine · Duffy · Wiley · Nelson · Kasten · Feingold · Johnson