Van R. Johnson
Van R. Johnson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 67th Mayor of Savannah, Georgia | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Eddie DeLoach |
| Savannah City Alderman | |
| In office January 2004 – January 1, 2020 | |
| Succeeded by | Bernetta Lanier |
| Constituency | 1st District |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Savannah State University (BS) Georgia Southern University (MPA) |
Van R. Johnson (born 1968) is an American politician who has served as the mayor of Savannah, Georgia since 2020. He is the fourth African-American mayor in the city's history. Before becoming mayor, he served four terms as alderman for the Savannah City Council's 1st District.
Early life and education
[edit]Born in Brooklyn, Johnson graduated from high school at age 16 and enrolled in Savannah State University, the oldest public historically Black college and university in the state of Georgia.[1] He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1990 and a master's degree in public administration from Georgia Southern University.[2][3]
Career
[edit]After college, Johnson worked as an assistant director of human resources for Savannah's Chatham County and later as a police officer.[1] From 2004 to 2020, he served as alderman for the Savannah City Council’s 1st District, additionally serving as mayor pro tem and vice chair during his tenure.[4] He unseated incumbent Eddie DeLoach in the 2019 Savannah mayoral election and was sworn in as mayor on January 1, 2020.[5] In November 2020, Mayor Johnson was elected among 16 Biden-Harris electors from Georgia for the Electoral College in the 2020 Presidential Election.[6] On November 7, 2023, he was re-elected mayor of Savannah with 77% of the vote against Kesha Gibson-Carter and T.L. Davis.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Office of the Mayor". Savannah.gov. July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ Birzer, Danielle (February 4, 2020). "Van Johnson, SSU alum, takes mayoral seat". The Tiger's Roar. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ "Savannah City Council District 1 candidates". Savannah Morning News. November 2, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ "We Stand With Van Johnson". Savannah Tribune. October 30, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ "Van Johnson wins Savannah's mayoral runoff". WSAV-TV. 2019-12-04. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
- ^ https://www.archives.gov/files/electoral-college/2020/ascertainment-georgia.pdf
- ^ https://www.wsav.com/news/your-local-election-hq/savannah-mayoral-race-2023/
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- 1968 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American politicians
- 21st-century African-American politicians
- Savannah State University alumni
- Georgia Southern University alumni
- Georgia (U.S. state) Democrats
- Mayors of Savannah, Georgia
- African-American mayors in Georgia (U.S. state)
- 2020 United States presidential electors
- Politicians from Brooklyn
- Georgia (U.S. state) mayor stubs