Former Sen. Tim Johnson, who was the last Democrat to hold statewide office in South Dakota, has passed away.
He was 77.
Johnson served in the United States Senate from 1997 to 2015.
He was first elected to Congress in 1986.
The former Democrat lawmaker died Tuesday night of complications from a recent stroke.
“Tim always quipped that neither the left, nor the right, had a monopoly on all of the good ideas, but that working together, we can find common ground for the good of our country,” Johnson’s family said in a news release, according to the Associated Press.
“In his work and life, Tim showed us never to give up,” they added.
Steve Hildebrand shared a message from Drey Samuelson, Tim Johnson’s former chief of staff, with the news that the former Democratic U.S. Senator and Congressman from South Dakota has died at age 77. pic.twitter.com/JU6tIui9RZ
— Stu Whitney (@stuwhitney) October 9, 2024
The passing of former South Dakota Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson is top news in the Mount Rushmore state this morning. He retired in 2015 after serving 5 terms in the House & 3 terms in the Senate including Banking chair. He died Tuesday at 77 following complications from a stroke. pic.twitter.com/Vm37BQnUSE
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) October 10, 2024
From the Associated Press:
That resilience was tested in 2006. Just a month after Democrats reclaimed the Senate by a one-vote margin, Johnson became disoriented during a media conference call and underwent emergency brain surgery. He’d suffered a life-threatening brain hemorrhage, sparking what many called an unseemly round of speculation in Washington about which party would control the next Senate.
But he returned to Washington nine months later, physically weaker yet mentally sharp. He later joked by opening his first post-surgery media conference call with: “As I was saying… .”
A fourth-generation South Dakotan, Johnson was known for his steady manner, his unpredictable votes and his ability to secure federal funding for his state, including money that helped pay for the University of South Dakota medical science complex.
Democrats never could take his votes for granted. Johnson bucked his party by backing bans on abortions later in pregnancies and flag desecration. He also voted to confirm U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who was nominated by Republican President George W. Bush.
Former Sen. Tim Johnson, a centrist who was the last Democrat to hold statewide office in South Dakota and who was adept at securing federal funding for projects back home during his nearly three decades in Washington, has died. He was 77.https://t.co/xrgfeFY6Fv
— Brookings Register (@brkgsregister) October 9, 2024
Black Hills Pioneer reports:
Johnson served a combined 36 years in the state Legislature, U.S. House and U.S. Senate, a fact made more remarkable by his status as a Democrat in a Republican-leaning state. Since Johnson’s retirement in 2014, no Democrat has held a statewide office in South Dakota.
“It’s hard to imagine someone living a life more meaningful and impactful than Tim’s — and, in the end, impact and meaning are the best that any of us can hope to achieve,” Samuelson wrote on Facebook. “Tim succeeded in reaching those goals way beyond what I’m sure were his wildest dreams when he was a young man.”
ADVERTISEMENT‘He always won’
Jon Schaff, a professor of government at Northern State University in Aberdeen, said Johnson showed strong political acumen by picking favorable Democratic election cycles to chase electoral opportunities. Johnson also worked hard to moderate his politics and to help his constituents with project funding and other requests.
“There was an enormous amount of goodwill toward Tim Johnson that allowed him to overcome the partisan makeup of the state,” Schaff said. “He was able to get people to vote for the person instead of the policy or party, and as a person he was extraordinarily well-liked. That’s a testament to his character.”
Steve Jarding, who worked for Johnson as a staffer and campaign manager, described Johnson as a humble and hardworking public servant — “a hard man not to respect” — whose humility sometimes caused him to be overlooked and underestimated.
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