Ruth Johnson

Ruth Johnson (born January 8, 1955^[1]) is the current Secretary of State of Michigan. She is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives and the 2006 Republican candidate for lieutenant governor as the running mate of Dick DeVos.

Johnson, of Holly, a former public school teacher and small business owner, was clerk and register of deeds of Oakland County, a suburban area immediately north of Detroit with a population of more than one million, prior to her election as secretary of state in November 2010.^[2][3] She was elected clerk in 2004 after defeating long-time incumbent William "Doc" Caddell in the Republican primary, and was the first woman clerk in Oakland County's 176-year history. From 1988 to 1998, she was a member of the as Oakland County Board of Commissioners.

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. While in the House, she served as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee and as assistant majority whip.^[1]

In 2010, she won the Republican nomination for secretary of state at the party's state convention. Her opponents were Paul Scott, Michelle McManus, Anne Norlander and Cameron Brown.

Title

As secretary of state, Johnson is entitled to the courtesy title of the Honorable (abbreviated to Hon. or Hon'ble) for life. However, this was a title that she already received through her election as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives.

References

External links

• Oakland County Clerk / Register of Deeds bio of Johnson
• Ruth Johnson for Secretary of State Website