Wednesday, Sep 20, 2017
The former Democratic gubernatorial candidate will appear at Rider on Sept. 26
by Adam Grybowski
Jim Johnson, a lawyer and activist who was largely unknown to the public until his recent run as a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, will visit Rider University on Tuesday, Sept. 26, as part of the ongoing Governing New Jersey series produced by the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics.
Johnson served as an undersecretary of the U.S. Treasury Department under then-President Bill Clinton and formerly worked for the New York law firm Debevoise and Plimpton and as a federal prosecutor in New York.
During the primary campaign, he was a long-shot candidate vying to win the Democratic primary against a large field of major-party candidates. If elected, he would have been New Jersey’s first black governor. The Democratic primary was eventually won by front-runner former ambassador and Wall Street executive Phil Murphy. Despite lacking party support, Johnson came in a surprising second place, with 22 percent of the vote. The strong showing has many in state politics wondering what his next move might be, and his name is being floated for any number of potential campaigns.
Johnson’s outsider bid rested on a platform that vowed to wrest control from political insiders, as well as solving high-stakes priorities for New Jersey residents like lowering property taxes and reforming political ethics.
Johnson’s outside candidacy, which stood in direct contrast with Murphy’s more conventional campaign, struck a chord among the electorate. “Johnson was an unconventional and even unusual candidate in the way he did not work to curry favor with the state political elites and power brokers,” says Dr. Ben Dworkin, director of the Rebovich Institute. “His experiences give him a unique view of the problems and potential solutions facing the state.”
The Sept. 26 event kicks off series of fall events hosted by the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University. Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who is the Republican nominee for governor, will appear on Oct. 12 and Alvin S. Felzenberg will appear Nov. 13 to discuss “The Legacy of William F. Buckley, Jr. and the Conservative Movement.” Felzenberg is the author of the recently published book A Man and His Presidents: The Political Odyssey of William F. Buckley, Jr.
The Rebovich Institute, which is dedicated to public service and scholarly analysis of government, public policy, campaigns and elections in New Jersey, plays an integral role in assisting students with research projects, internships, service learning opportunities, job placement and overall career development. Founded in 2001 by the late Professor David Rebovich (1949–2007), it is a dynamic and creative home where students can network, study and gain practical experience in New Jersey politics.
“An Evening with Jim Johnson,” which is free and open to Rider’s campus community and the public, will take place at in the Mercer Room at Rider University. A light reception will be held at 6 p.m., followed by Johnson’s remarks and a Q&A at 7 p.m. Registration is strongly requested by visiting www.rider.edu/Johnson.
