Brad Johnson (born March 6, 1951) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Montana. A member of the Republican Party, he served as chairman of the Montana Public Service Commission where he left office in January 2023. Johnson was a candidate in the Republican primary in the 2024 United States Senate election in Montana.
Biography Johnson was born in Lake Forest, Illinois. He received a bachelor of agriculture from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Class of 1976) before moving to Montana in 1980. He owned an auto parts store and worked for RightNow Technologies in Bozeman. He also served as a district representative for Congressman Ron Marlenee and worked as an agricultural extension agent.
Johnson unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Congressman Pat Williams in 1990 and ran for the Republican nomination for United States Senate in 2002 before he was elected Secretary of State of Montana in 2004, defeating Yellowstone County Commissioner Bill Kennedy. He lost reelection to state Superintendent of Public Instruction Linda McCulloch in 2008.
Johnson withdrew from the race for Public Service Commissioner in 2010 after pleading guilty to driving under the influence in Broadwater County. He subsequently entered an alcohol treatment program. He ran for Secretary of State in 2012, but again lost to McCulloch.
Johnson was elected Public Service Commissioner for District 5 in 2014, defeating Democrat Galen Hollenbaugh, and was chosen to be chairman of the commission by his colleagues. He announced his candidacy for Governor of Montana in the 2016 election, but withdrew from the race in January citing fundraising concerns and commitment to his duties on the Public Service Commission.
Electoral history U.S. Congress for Montana's 1st district, 1990PartyCandidateVotes%DemocraticPat Williams (inc.)100,40961.13Republican Brad Johnson63,83738.87
U.S. Senate Republican Primary election in Montana, 2002PartyCandidateVotes%Republican Mike Taylor48,16960.16Republican Brad Johnson14,252 17.80Republican John McDonald10,11612.63Republican Melvin Hanson7,5369.41 Montana Secretary of State Republican Primary Election, 2004PartyCandidateVotes%Republican Brad Johnson39,47956.61Republican Todd O'Hair15,130 21.70Republican Bob Werner15,130 21.70 Montana Secretary of State Election, 2004PartyCandidateVotes%RepublicanBrad Johnson219,82151.03DemocraticBill Kennedy210,97248.97 Montana Secretary of State Republican Primary Election, 2008PartyCandidateVotes%Republican Brad Johnson (inc.)81,661100.00 Montana Secretary of State Election, 2008PartyCandidateVotes%DemocraticLinda McCulloch233,71749.32Republican Brad Johnson (inc.)228,41248.20ConstitutionSieglinde Sharbono11,7222.47 Montana Secretary of State Republican Primary Election, 2012PartyCandidateVotes%Republican Brad Johnson65,44555.05RepublicanScott Aspenlieder26,97422.69RepublicanPatty L. Lovaas18,47915.54RepublicanDrew Turiano7,9856.72 Montana Secretary of State Election, 2012PartyCandidateVotes%DemocraticLinda McCulloch (inc.)245,024 51.41Republican Brad Johnson214,976 45.10LibertarianRoger Roots16,622 3.49 Public Service Commissioner for Montana's 5th district, 2014PartyCandidateVotes%Republican Brad Johnson44,35261.11Democratic Galen Hollenbaugh28,22938.89 Public Service Commissioner for Montana's 5th district, 2018PartyCandidateVotes%Republican Brad Johnson60,43457.81Democratic Andy Shirtliff44,10342.19 Montana Secretary of State Republican Primary Election, 2020PartyCandidateVotes%Republican Christi Jacobsen57,94129.42RepublicanScott Sales49,75925.27RepublicanBrad Johnson45,52623.12RepublicanForrest J. Mandeville20,318 10.32 RepublicanBowen Greenwood 14,080 7.15 RepublicanKurt Johnson 9,316 4.73
Montana United States Senate Republican Primary Election, 2024PartyCandidateVotes%Republican Tim Sheehy139,85773.60RepublicanBrad Johnson36,92619.43RepublicanCharles Walkingchild, Sr. 13,2296.96
References
External links Montana Public Service Commission: About Brad Johnson, Chairman Brad Johnson at Ballotpedia Our Campaigns – Brad Johnson (MT) profile