# Mitzi Johnson > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mitzi_Johnson > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mitzi_Johnson.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitzi_Johnson > Source revision: 1260900900 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Mitzi Johnson** (born November 18, 1970) is an American [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) politician who was the [Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives](/source/Speaker_of_the_Vermont_House_of_Representatives) from 2017 to 2021. She represented the [Grand Isle](/source/Grand_Isle,_Vermont)-[Chittenden](/source/Chittenden_County,_Vermont) (GI-CHI) district (seat number 1),[1] before losing re-election. ## Early life and education Johnson was born in [Clifton Park, New York](/source/Clifton_Park,_New_York), on November 18, 1970.[2] She graduated from the [University of Vermont](/source/University_of_Vermont) in 1993 with a degree in environmental science and international development.[2][3] In 2013, she completed a [master of public administration](/source/Master_of_public_administration) degree from [Harvard Kennedy School](/source/Harvard_Kennedy_School) at [Harvard University](/source/Harvard_University).[3] ## Career After graduating from college, Johnson became a resident of [South Hero](/source/South_Hero,_Vermont).[2] As a public policy professional, her experience includes program and project development for Hunger Free Vermont and the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force.[2] She was also a vegetable grower at South Hero's Allenholm Farm.[2] In addition, she has worked as a substitute teacher, piano teacher and scarf designer.[2] Johnson was active in South Hero as a volunteer with South Hero Rescue, which provides fire fighting and emergency medical response in [Grand Isle County](/source/Grand_Isle_County,_Vermont).[2] She was served on the board of directors of the [Chittenden](/source/Chittenden_County,_Vermont)-Grand Isle County Visiting Nurse Association (2006-2012) and the South Hero Land Trust (1995-2008).[2] From 2002 to 2006, she was a member of the advisory board for the University of Vermont's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.[2] In 2012, she was elected to the [Vermont Electric Cooperative](/source/Vermont_Electric_Cooperative)'s board of directors.[2] ## Vermont House of Representatives In 2000, Johnson was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for the [Vermont House of Representatives](/source/Vermont_House_of_Representatives).[3] In 2002, she was elected to the House and has been re-elected every two years since then.[2] From 2003 to 2007 she was a member of the House Agriculture Committee.[2] From 2007 to 2017, she was on the Appropriations Committee;[2] from 2015 to 2017 she was the committee's chairwoman.[4] In the November 3, 2020, [general election](/source/General_election), unofficial reported totals showed Johnson losing her seat in the two-member Grand Isle-Chittenden district, with the Republican incumbent [Leland Morgan](/source/Leland_Morgan) winning 2,768 votes, his nephew and fellow Republican [Michael Morgan](/source/Michael_Morgan_(American_politician)) winning 2,619 votes, and Johnson trailing with 2,601. Johnson requested a recount, which affirmed Michael Morgan's victory by a 20 vote (2,627 - 2,601) margin.[5] ## Speaker of the House Speaker of the House [Shap Smith](/source/Shap_Smith) did not run for re-election to his House seat in 2016, and ran instead for the Democratic nomination for [lieutenant governor](/source/Lieutenant_Governor_of_Vermont).[4][6][7] In November 2016, Johnson was a candidate to succeed Smith as Speaker, as were Sarah Copeland-Hanzas and Charles "Chip" Conquest.[7] Johnson and Copeland-Hanzas became the front runners and, by late November, Copeland-Hanzas concluded that Johnson's support among Democratic members of the House was enough to win a contested vote, so she withdrew.[8] In a December 2016 meeting of the Vermont House's Democratic caucus, Copeland-Hanzas nominated Johnson for Speaker and Johnson was unanimously selected as the Democratic candidate for the position.[4] In the full House's January 2017 election for Speaker, Johnson defeated the Republican Linda Myers of Essex.[6] ## See also - [List of female speakers of legislatures in the United States](/source/List_of_female_speakers_of_legislatures_in_the_United_States) ## References 1. ["Representative Mitzi Johnson"](http://legislature.vermont.gov/people/single/2018/14552). State of Vermont. Retrieved 2017-09-06. 1. "Member Biography, Representative Mitzi Johnson". 1. "Taking Matters into Her Own Hands". 1. "House Democrats Formally Nominate Johnson for Speaker". 1. [accessed 4 April 2021](https://electionarchive.vermont.gov/elections/search/;) 1. "New House Speaker Mitzi Johnson Shifts Committee Jurisdiction". 1. "Three Campaign to Become Speaker of Vermont House". 1. "Copeland-Hanzas Steps Aside". ## External links - "GI-CHI" district [legislative map](http://legislature.vermont.gov/assets/Documents/SmallMaps/GI-CHI.pdf) - ["Member Biography, Representative Mitzi Johnson"](http://legislature.vermont.gov/people/single/2016/14552). *Vermont House of Representatives*. Montpelier, VT: Vermont General Assembly. 2015. - Megias, Mari (December 16, 2014). ["Taking Matters into Her Own Hands: Mitzi Johnson MC/MPA 2013"](https://www.hks.harvard.edu/news-events/news/alumni/mitzi-johnson). *HKS Alumni News*. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Kennedy School of Government. - Mansfield, Erin (November 20, 2016). ["Three Campaign to Become Speaker of Vermont House"](https://vtdigger.org/2016/11/20/three-campaign-become-speaker-vermont-house/). *VT Digger* - Hirschfeld, Peter & Kinzel, Bob (November 28, 2016). ["As Copeland-Hanzas Steps Aside, Mitzi Johnson Poised To Become Vermont's Next Speaker"](http://digital.vpr.net/post/copeland-hanzas-steps-aside-mitzi-johnson-poised-become-vermonts-next-speaker#stream/0). *Vermont Public Radio* - Mansfield, Erin (December 4, 2016). ["House Democrats Formally Nominate Johnson for Speaker"](https://vtdigger.org/2016/12/04/house-democrats-formally-nominate-johnson-speaker/). *VT Digger* - Hallenbeck, Terri (January 4, 2017). ["New House Speaker Mitzi Johnson Shifts Committee Jurisdiction"](http://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2017/01/04/new-vermont-house-speaker-mitzi-johnson-makes-changes). *Seven Days* --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mitzi Johnson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitzi_Johnson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitzi_Johnson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.