We remember Tim Johnson, a South Dakota political titan who served his nation and state long and well
It was 1977, and Tim Johnson had a question for his wife.
Johnson had long been interested in politics, and the Vermillion lawyer saw an opportunity to get into the game. He planned to run for a state House seat in 1978, and asked his wife for permission.
“You can run until you lose,” Barb Johnson said.
Well, that never happened. Johnson was twice elected to the state House, and moved to the state Senate, winning a pair of terms in 1982 and ‘84. He followed that by winning five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and then three terms in the U.S. Senate.
He built one of the most impressive political legacies in South Dakota, and did it in a quiet, dignified and intelligent manner.
Johnson died Tuesday night. He was 77, and had struggled with health issues since he suffered a major brain bleed caused by a cerebral arteriovenous malformation on Dec. 13, 2006, while doing a call with South Dakota media.
He still ran for re-election in 2006 and won a third term in the Senate. He never tasted defeat in politics, or in life.
When he retired in 2015, Johnson had served 36 years in public office and had won every election he entered. During that time, he became known as a moderate Democrat who worked with politicians on both sides of the aisle, focusing on areas such as veterans affairs, Native American issues, water development and infrastructure.
In 2021, he received the Goldie Wells Lifetime Achievement Award from the South Dakota Democratic Party at its annual McGovern Day celebration in Sioux Falls. At the event, Johnson said he was satisfied with his long career in politics and appreciated the award from his party.
Wells, a Democrat, was South Dakota’s secretary of state from 1937-39. She remained a strong supporter of her party for decades after she served, dying in 1984.
That’s when Johnson was moving from the South Dakota Legislature to a bigger stage. After serving two terms in the state House of Representatives and two in the state Senate, he ran for Congress in 1986 as Tom Daschle decided to depart from the House and challenge Sen. James Abdnor.
Daschle, a longtime ally and friend of Johnson’s, was elected to the Senate, and Johnson to the House. Johnson (seen in the center, above, in a 1998 photo taken in tornado-devastated Spencer, South Dakota, from a public domain image posted on wikimedia commons) served five terms in the House before taking on Sen. Larry Pressler in 1996. He won a close, hard-fought race, and was re-elected twice.
Unlike George McGovern and Daschle, liberals who had national profiles and presidential aspirations, Johnson never looked beyond South Dakota and focused on bread-and-butter issues during his 28 years in Congress.
He often said he is proud of ensuring all South Dakotans had access to safe, clean water.
Johnson played a key role in the Mni Wiconi water project, which delivered water to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribe. The $488 million project brings water from the Missouri River to communities in West River.
He said all South Dakotans deserved access to water.
“Ranchers, cowboys and Indians,” Johnson said. “The cowboys didn’t get it if the Indians didn’t get it, and the Indians didn’t get it if the cowboys didn’t get it.”
Johnson also worked to provide housing, medical care, schools, infrastructure and educational opportunities for Native Americans. He also worked on veterans issues.
As a South Dakota congressman and senator, agriculture issues were always on his mind, as Johnson obtained millions of dollars for value-added agriculture, advocated for “Country-of-Origin” labeling of meat products and was a lead author of the Renewable Fuel Standard.
When the Ellsworth Air Force Base was on a list for closure, Johnson and other members of the South Dakota congressional delegation and Gov. Mike Rounds worked together to keep it open.
At the 2021 SDDP gathering, Johnson was treated warmly and with respect. Yes, he was a longtime national lawmaker — but he was also Tim, their friend.
“It’s hard to imagine a South Dakota without Tim,” said then-South Dakota Democratic Party chair Randy Seiler, who presented him with the lifetime award.
Seiler, a close friend of Sen. Johnson’s son Brendan Johnson — both men served as U.S. attorney — said he has become very close to the Johnson family. He said they have unofficially adopted him, and he considers Brendan Johnson “a brother from another mother.”
The scores of Democrats who attended the 2021 McGovern Day ceremony felt very familial about Tim Johnson. As awards were presented and speeches made, he was singled out for his service to the state.
Native Americans were a key part of Johnson’s constituency, and it was noted that he was given the name Wacate Ognake, which means “Has a Heart for Many” or “Holds the People in his Heart.”
Johnson spoke briefly when he received his award. Words came hard for the former senator after the cerebral arteriovenous malformation.
He was placed in a medically induced coma and doctors told his family they were unsure of his condition if and when he awakened. Johnson underwent months of treatment — wearing out therapists — before he returned to the Senate on Sept. 5, 2007, to standing ovations and emotional speeches from colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
Johnson’s speech and mobility on the right side of his body were seriously impacted, but he did improve. In 2008, he sought a third Senate term and won easily. Pressler, his former political rival, endorsed him.
Johnson was held in high regard by his colleagues, and was named chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. He worked on a public transportation bill that increased rural funding from $10 million to $13.8 million.
But he was unable to regain his full health and used a motorized scooter to move around, while his speech slowed and was somewhat slurred. His dry wit, however, was still evident.
On March 26, 2013, Johnson held a press conference at USD to announce he would not run for a fourth term. I covered it for The Mitchell Daily Republic.
“I will be 68 years old at the end of this term and it’s time for me to say goodbye,” he said. “The Bible says that there is a time for every season under heaven. It is now our season to spend more time with our six grandchildren and in the state we love.”
In 2021, Johnson said while he enjoyed running for office and serving the people of his state, he is content with his life and career. While he misses campaigning and serving, he said others have to fill that void.
“It’s not my time,” Johnson said.
He admitted that retiring was a difficult decision. Johnson said he considered seeking a fourth term in 2014.
“I was tempted to run,” he said.
But he returned to South Dakota to spend time with his children and grandchildren and enjoy an easier pace with his wife.
Seiler also paid tribute to Barb Johnson, who has been married to Tim since 1969. They have two sons and a daughter.
“Tim wouldn’t be the success that he is without his partner,” he said before presenting her with a dozen long-stemmed roses. Seiler said people who meet Barb Johnson want to impress her and be like her.
Brendan Johnson has often been seen as a possible candidate for statewide office, but he has declined to run, instead operating a thriving legal practice that includes a prominent role in advocating for legal marijuana in the state.
Both Tim and Barb Johnson said they don’t expect him to seek political office anytime soon, if ever.
“Brendan is serving in other ways that I think are extremely important,” Barb said.
Brendan, who sat in the front row, snapping photos of his parents and applauding during the ceremony, said he is proud of them and appreciative of the award.
“Thank you to the South Dakota Democratic Party for honoring my mom and dad,” he tweeted after the 2021 ceremony.
Today, and for many years to come, we will remember and honor Tim Johnson, a bright, caring, decent son of the prairie who served his state and nation long and well.
Fourth-generation South Dakotan Tom Lawrence has written for several newspapers and websites in South Dakota and other states and contributed to The New York Times, NPR, The London Telegraph, The Daily Beast and other media outlets. Republish with permission.
