Clete Donald Johnson, Jr.

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Clete Donald "Don" Johnson, Jr. (born January 30, 1948) is an American politician, lawyer and academic from the state of Georgia.

Johnson was born in Atlanta; but spent most of his life in Royston. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Georgia in Athens in 1970, earning a law degree from the same institution in 1973. After admittance to the state bar in that same year, he worked as a staff attorney for the House Ways and Means Committee. He later earned his Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics in 1978.

Johnson served in the United States Air Force from 1973 until 1977 and worked in the Air Force's Judge Advocate General’s Office and as trade counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee. After his military service, he was a Georgia State senator from 1987 until 1993. Johnson won election in 1992 to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat representing Georgia's 10th congressional district, succeeding 16-year incumbent Doug Barnard. He was defeated in his bid for reelection in 1994, losing to Republican Charlie Norwood, a dentist who had never run for elected office before. Johnson lost by a shocking 31 points--the largest margin of defeat for a Democratic incumbent during the gigantic Republican landslide of that year.

Johnson subsequently served as an ambassador for the Office of the United States Trade Representative from 1998 until 2000 as principal adviser on textile and apparel trade matters.

Johnson rejoined the UGA School of Law in 2004 as the Director of Dean Rusk Center for International, Comparative and Graduate Legal Studies, where he remains today.

[edit] References

• Clete Donald Johnson, Jr. at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• UGA Law School Faculty page for C. Don Johnson, Jr.

Preceded by Doug Barnard, Jr.

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 10th congressional district January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995

Succeeded by Charlie Norwood