Johanns Wont Seek Re-Election
U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska announced that he will not seek re-election in 2014, saying he wants a “quieter time” to focus on his family following a busy political career that included a stint as governor and President George W. Bush’s agriculture secretary.
The Nebraska Republican announced that he was retiring from the Senate after one term. He said he and his wife, Stephanie, had decided that the time has come “to close this chapter of our lives.”
“During these many years, we have cherished our time together,” the couple said in an email statement. “So as we think about the next stage of our lives, we want a quieter time with our focus on each other, our family and our faith. We are also confident that there will be many more opportunities to serve our state and our nation.”
Johanns, 62, joined the U.S. Senate in 2009. He served as agriculture secretary under Bush and was Nebraska’s governor from 1999 to 2005. His departure opens a new 2014 race in Nebraska, a solidly red state where Republicans hold all the congressional seats. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer became the newest member in January, after defeating two better-known Republican candidates in the 2012 primary and beating former Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey in the general election.
Johanns’ departure could leave an opening for Republican Gov. Dave Heineman, who is leaving office in 2014 because of term limits.
In a statement, Heineman called Johanns “a remarkably outstanding public official. Adding, “We are forever thankful for his commitment to serving our citizens, in particular, our farmers and ranchers, and our veterans.”
Although he began his political career as a Democrat, Johanns has made a name for himself as a staunch conservative since his election to the Senate in 2008. In his first year in the Senate, Johanns voted with the GOP 94% of the time, including opposing the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Johanns opposed the 2010 health care reform law championed by President Barack Obama, calling it bad policy even after the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012 upheld it as constitutional.