Robert Lee Johnson III (born November 29, 1958) is an American politician. He first served as a state senator before becoming a member of the

Mississippi House of Representatives The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected for ...

from the 94th District, being first elected in 2004. He has been the Minority Leader of the State House since 2020.

Early life

Robert L. Johnson III was born on November 29, 1958 in

Natchez, Mississippi Natchez ( ) is the only city in and the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,520 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia, Louisiana, Natchez was ...

. When he was young, Johnson would help his father, who was a bricklayer and cattle rancher, with work. Johnson's mother was a school teacher, later retiring as an assistant superintendent.III Johnson, Robert. Interview. Conducted by D'Andra Orey. ''Mississippi Oral History Program of The University of Southern Mississippi''. February 5, 2009. Johnson graduated from North Natchez High School and got a scholarship to

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...

. He was there for three years and transferred to the

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

, receiving a degree in political science and urban studies. He received a J.D. from the same school and interned during the summers at the attorney general's office in Mississippi.

Career

In 1986, Johnson returned to Mississippi, where he worked for Edwin Pittman in the attorney general's office. He worked for

Mike Moore Michael Moore is an American filmmaker and author. Michael Moore may also refer to: Academia * Michael G. Moore (fl. 1970s–2020s), professor of education * Michael S. Moore (academic) (fl. 1960s–2020s), American law professor * Michael Mo ...

before starting his own private practice in 1989. He is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association and the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association. He is President of the Adams County Voters League.

Politics

Johnson ran for the State Senate in 1992 against incumbent Pat Welch, a two-term incumbent from McComb. After an intense campaign, he was elected to the Mississippi Senate for the 38th district in 1993. He served till 2003, after losing election to Kelvin Butler following redistricting. When Philip West, a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives for the 94th district resigned to run for the mayor of Natchez and won, Johnson was encouraged to run. He ran against four others in the special election on August 3, 2004, coming first with 35.4%. Making it to the run-off on August 17, 2004, he defeated his opponent 53.6% to 46.4% of the vote. He assumed office in 2004. Johnson was elected Minority Leader for the Mississippi House of Representatives in 2020, winning it without opposition. A few weeks before his election, he had announched his retirement, but cancelled it as it was pending a decision. Johnson has been noted for his bipartisan spirit in the legislature.

Personal life

He is married to Evelyn Joiner and is of

African Methodist Episcopal The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Methodist denomination based in the United States. It adheres to Wesleyan–Arminian theology and has a connexional polity. It cooperates with other Methodist ...

faith.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Robert III 1958 births Living people Politicians from Natchez, Mississippi University of Illinois College of Law alumni African-American state legislators in Mississippi Democratic Party Mississippi state senators Democratic Party members of the Mississippi House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Mississippi Legislature Washington University in St. Louis alumni