Overview
- Johnson filed on Jan. 6 for the Manatee County Commission’s at-large District 6 seat, which is currently held until November by Jason Bearden, as a crowded Republican primary shapes up for Aug. 18.
- He told WWSB the filing date was “not a coincidence,” and his campaign logo features an outline of the image of him carrying Nancy Pelosi’s lectern.
- He previously pleaded guilty to entering or remaining in a restricted building, served 75 days in prison with additional penalties, and expressed remorse at his 2022 sentencing.
- After President Trump’s January 2025 mass pardons, Johnson embraced the notoriety on X as @lecternleader, using the photo in his profile and promoting related merchandise.
- His platform, promoted under the slogan “Fix Manatee FAST,” focuses on targeting fraud and waste, lowering costs, steering sustainable growth, and easing traffic, while attacking current county leadership as ineffective.