Ruth Johnson

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Ruth Johnson (born January 8, 1955^[1]) is a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. She is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives, and 2006 Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan as the running mate of Dick DeVos.

Johnson, of Holly, a former public school teacher and small business owner, currently serves as County Clerk and Register of Deeds for Oakland County, a suburban area immediately north of Detroit with a population of more than one million. She was elected in 2004 after defeating long-time incumbent William "Doc" Caddell in the Republican primary, and is the first woman County Clerk in Oakland County's 176-year history. Previously, from 1988 to 1998, she served as Oakland County Commissioner.

Johnson was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1998, and re-elected in 2000 and 2002; term limits made her ineligible for a fourth term, so she left office at the end of 2004. While in the House, she served as Chair of the GOP Policy Committee and as Assistant Majority Whip.^[1] As committee chair, she led investigations into mismanagement and misappropriation of funds at the Oakland County Intermediate School District. Fraud uncovered in the investigation led to criminal charges, and ultimately the conviction of James Redmond, superintendent of the intermediate school district.

In January 2007, the John McCain for President campaign announced that Ruth Johnson would head the campaign in Oakland County.^[2]