Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson said today he will run for re-election to one final term on the county board next year. Johnson, who was the Republican endorsed candidate for governor in 2014, announced his decision to seek re-election in a post on Facebook.
In his post about seeking re-election, Johnson wrote "[w]hile I'm content to be the sometimes lone 'no' vote on the [Hennepin County Board], my real goal is to change the way we do things to better serve residents and taxpayers."
In an interview this evening, Johnson said it "wasn't an easy decision" to seek re-election to another four-year term, as he has been an advocate for term limits.
But Johnson said he wants to continue to focusing on evaluating county programs, especially in areas such as human services and corrections, to determine which programs "are improving people's lives."
In 2012, Johnson ran unopposed for re-election. In 2008, Johnson won his seat on the county board with over 60 percent of the vote. Last month, Johnson was named the Minnesota state chairman for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio's presidential campaign.
Picture source: Jerry Holt, Star Tribune
