Austin American-Statesman: Johnson plans to retire from Congress after three decades
DALLAS — U.S. Rep Eddie Bernice Johnson said Saturday that she is retiring from Congress after almost 30 years, ending a chapter of a pioneering public service career that broke
barriers and helped reshape the face of Dallas.
Johnson’s dramatic announcement, though widely expected, set off a frenzy of political activity as wouldbe successors scurried to develop campaigns for the March Democratic primaries.
Numerous contenders to succeed Johnson in Dallas’ District 30 were on hand for the incumbent’s speech, making it a curious spectacle that attracted much of the area’s political class.
Johnson said people had been urging her to run for another term in Congress and she went back and forth about the decision but eventually decided to retire.
“I will retire, and I will recommend to you who is the best to follow me.” she said, surrounded by generations of her family. She said she would be looking for a qualified woman to endorse as her successor.
She reflected on her lengthy career in politics and especially her time in Congress and her pride at securing funding for public transit in Dallas County.
“I’ve worked hard. It’s not just a title — it’s a job,” she said. “It’s been some rugged times, but I have not acknowledged it. I was determined that I wouldn’t just be a title. I wanted to deliver. I thought about the district and all the needs that it had. The first challenge that hit my table was funding DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit. It’s been my baby from the first day that I got there.”
Johnson is the 16th Democrat to announce retirement before the 2022 midterm election, which is expected to bring a Republican majority to the U.S. House.
“My next door neighbor in Washington, and worshiping at her son’s church across the street from our Austin home; she is a friend as well as a leader,” said U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin. “She has touched the lives of so many through decades of public service.”
Long career
Johnson, born in Waco amid the segregated South, shattered barriers at nearly every stage of her political and professional career, paving the way for more women and African Americans to obtain leadership roles in politics, nursing and other fields in Texas and beyond.
She was the first Black person to serve as chief psychiatric nurse at Dallas’ VA hospital; the first Black woman elected to public office from Dallas, an accomplishment that still stuns people who reflect about the headwinds of the past; the first Black person from Dallas to serve in the Texas Senate since Reconstruction; the first registered nurse elected to Congress; and the first Black woman to lead the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.
A lasting monument to that history is Dallas’ Union Station, a once racially segregated facility that in 2019 was renamed for Johnson. Throughout her career, Johnson was one of Texas’ most influential Democrats. Her status as a senior Democrat, one who served on influential panels such as the House transportation committee, stood out in a state dominated by Republicans, providing her significant clout, particularly during years in which her party controlled the House.
She used her power and partnerships with Republicans to deliver for North Texas, including massive road projects such as the DFW Connector, flood control improvements along the Trinity River and expansions at Dallas Love Field.
The news that followed Johnson wasn’t always positive.
Her most controversial misstep came in 2010, when it was revealed that she had improperly awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships to four relatives and a top aide’s two children. She ultimately paid back the money, saying she had unknowingly violated the rules.
Replacement options
The race to replace Johnson in the safe Democratic seat is considered wide open.
Even before Johnson began talk of retiring, state Sen. Royce West, state Rep. Yvonne Davis and Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price were considered potential successors. But Johnson stayed in office so long that the original trio of potential replacements will probably think hard about whether a career in Washington makes sense, since they are much older than likely candidates that have recently emerged.
Candidates already running in District 30 are Dallas lawyer Abel Mulugheta, small-business owner Shenita Cleveland and progressive Democrat Jessica Mason. Jane Hamilton, who directed President Joe Biden’s Texas presidential primary campaign, launched an exploratory committee and is expected to campaign for the seat.
Other potential candidates include state Reps. Jasmine Crockett and Toni Rose, both of Dallas, and Carl Sherman of DeSoto. Former state District Judge Elizabeth Frizell of Dallas has also expressed interest. Former state Rep. Barbara Mallory Caraway, along with Hasani Burton and Cleveland, challenged Johnson in the 2020 Democratic primary. Johnson racked up more than 70% of the vote. Cleveland was second with 13%. Caraway, a former Dallas City Council member, has made five attempts to unseat Johnson.
Johnson took a dig at her former opponents in talking about whom she would endorse.
“Anybody that’s already been rejected by this district, they will not be receiving my endorsement,” she said.