Mark Johnson (North Carolina)

Mark Johnson

Republican Party

Prior offices

Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board At-Large

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North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction

Successor: Catherine Truitt

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 3, 2020

Education

Law

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal LinkedIn

Mark Johnson (Republican Party) was the North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction. He assumed office on January 1, 2017. He left office on January 1, 2021.

Johnson (Republican Party) ran for election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. He lost in the Republican primary on March 3, 2020.

Johnson previously served on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education. He ran for the board against fellow Republican candidates John M. Davenport Jr. and Robert Barr and three Democratic candidates for three available seats in the general election on November 4, 2014. Mark Johnson won the general election on November 4, 2014.

Biography

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Johnson earned his J.D. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He runs a legal practice that specializes in business law. Johnson previously worked as a teacher with West Charlotte High School. He serves as a chair for Young Leaders United and as a board member for the Northwest Piedmont Workforce Development Board. Johnson and his wife, Rachel, have one young child.

Political career

North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction (2017 - 2021)

Johnson was elected as the North Carolina superintendent of public instruction on November 8, 2016, and was sworn into office on January 1, 2017. He did not seek re-election in 2020. He left office on January 1, 2021.

Elections

2020

See also: North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020

North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)

North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina

Mark K. Robinson defeated Yvonne Lewis Holley in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark K. Robinson (R)	51.6	2,800,656
		Yvonne Lewis Holley (D)	48.4	2,623,458

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,424,114
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Yvonne Lewis Holley	26.6	309,274
		Terry Van Duyn	20.4	237,885
		Chaz Beasley	18.9	219,503
		Allen Thomas Jr.	18.8	219,229
		Bill Toole	9.6	111,843
	Submit photo	Ronald L. Newton	5.7	65,970

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,163,704
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark K. Robinson	32.5	240,843
		Andy Wells	14.6	107,824
		Mark Johnson	12.0	89,200
	Submit photo	John Ritter	11.5	85,023
		Renee Ellmers	6.8	50,526
		Greg Gebhardt	6.8	50,474
		Deborah Cochran	6.5	48,234
		Scott Stone	6.5	48,193
	Submit photo	Buddy Bengel	2.8	20,395

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 740,712
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2016

See also: North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction election, 2016

Johnson filed to run for North Carolina superintendent of public instruction in 2016. Two other Republicans filed to run in the primary election. Johnson won the nomination in the March 15 primary election and competed with incumbent June Atkinson (D), who also won her party's nomination, in the November general election.

Mark Johnson defeated incumbent June Atkinson in the North Carolina superintendent of schools election.

North Carolina Superintendent of Schools, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mark Johnson	50.64%	2,262,274
	Democratic	June Atkinson Incumbent	49.36%	2,205,483
Total Votes				4,467,757
Source: ABC11

North Carolina Superintendent of Schools Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mark Johnson	53.3%	441,865
Rosemary Stein	32.9%	272,131
J. Wesley Sills	13.8%	114,274
Total Votes		828,270
Election results via North Carolina State Board of Elections.

2014

See also: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools elections (2014)

Mark Johnson and fellow Republican candidates John M. Davenport Jr. and Robert Barr faced one another and Democratic candidates Elisabeth Motsinger, Katherine Fansler and German D. Garcia in the general election on November 4, 2014.

Results

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Elisabeth Motsinger Incumbent	18.4%	52,582
	Republican	Robert Barr	17.1%	48,789
	Republican	Mark Johnson	16.9%	48,418
	Democratic	Katherine Fansler	16.8%	48,115
	Republican	John M. Davenport Jr. Incumbent	16.5%	47,125
	Democratic	German D. Garcia	14.2%	40,636
Total Votes				285,665
Source: North Carolina Board of Elections, "2014 General Election Results," accessed December 30, 2014

Funding

Johnson had not reported any contributions or expenditures to the Forsyth County Board of Elections as of April 30, 2014.

Endorsements

Johnson had not received any official endorsements as of April 30, 2014.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mark Johnson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

Johnson listed the following issues as top priorities on his campaign website.

“

Teachers NOT Testing! Reform the system of overtesting created by the incumbent; 21st Century Preparation! Support the efforts of Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and other state leaders to increase the smart, measured access to technology in all classrooms; Trust Locals NOT Bureaucrats! Greater support for local education initiatives instead of the one-size-fits-all approach from Raleigh.

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2014

Johnson listed his themes for the 2014 campaign on his campaign website:

“ Mark commits to working tirelessly in the best interests of teachers, students, and the community to address the challenges facing our school system. One can already measure his passion and hard work: as a teacher at West Charlotte High School, one of the most challenging teaching environments in the state, and now as a volunteer and board member with the United Way and the Crosby Scholars. On the Board of Education, Mark will do the “heavy lifting” necessary and work with the superintendent, teachers, parents, and the community to make sure their needs are heard. Below are Mark’s top priorities, for which he has plans to proactively address: Goal: Improve Early Childhood Literacy – Our teachers work very hard and successfully aid most students to advance one grade level each year. Unfortunately, some students enter the school system one or two grade levels behind. As a result, even though the majority of teachers do their jobs effectively, we have students who do not read at a 3rd grade level by the time they reach the 3rd grade. (Research shows that students who do not read at grade level by the 3rd grade are much less likely to be successful during the rest of their K-12 years.) Working with teachers (and being careful not to create any inefficient burdens on them), we can take steps to place more focus on early childhood literacy in the classroom. Working with the community, we can take steps to place more focus on pre-kindergarten educational opportunities and parent outreach programs. Goal: Reduce the Achievement Gap – We live in the United States, a nation (unlike any before it) that offers the opportunity for people, regardless of their background, to work hard and achieve great things. Mark’s grandfather was raised in New Orleans East and did not graduate high school. After he served in the armed forces, he set out to provide a better future for his children and their children by selling insurance door to door across the Southeast. Through his countless nights away from his family and long hours on the road, he earned enough income to ensure that his family would have the educational opportunities he did not. Every student, regardless of background, should have the opportunity to work hard, obtain an excellent education, and be successful post K-12 in a field best matching his or her needs and potential. Truly providing this opportunity to every student in our school system will have ripple effects throughout our community: from lower crime rates to attracting more employers to Forsyth County. Goal: Address Common Core – The rushed implementation by the state of the Common Core standards created a heavy burden on students, parents, and teachers. Whether North Carolina continues with the Common Core standards is a decision in the hands of our state representatives. While Mark supports higher expectations for our students, new standards cannot be successfully implemented without adequate preparation, effective professional development for teachers, the support of teachers and parents, and local control. If the General Assembly decides to withdraw from Common Core, the school system must be prepared to aid teachers with the next set of standards (and avoid a repeat of Common Core’s implementation) as well as give close attention to how best prepare students for nationally standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT, which will be adjusted to align with Common Core. If the General Assembly does not withdraw from Common Core, the school system must take every action possible to assist teachers, through the sharing of best practices and effective professional development opportunities, with its implementation. Goal: Retain and Attract Teachers by Working with Them and in Their Interests - Those in charge of the school system must never forget where learning occurs: between the teacher and the student. Many current factors are damaging teacher morale, which jeopardizes the success of our students. Mark knows first-hand the difficulties of teaching while dealing with the policies set forth by a school system and the state. Teachers are the most valuable resource in the school system, and Mark will proactively work to improve teacher morale and attract teachers to Forsyth County. Importantly, Mark will always seek teacher input regarding key actions of the school board and the plans to address his goals. Goal: Continue the Recent Successes of the School System - Great things are happening in Forsyth County. With the hard work of teachers and administrators, and the help of community partnerships, the graduation rate has increased over 10% in the past several years. Certain schools in Forsyth County have been ranked among the best in the nation! Our magnet school program offers opportunities for many students to excel. Mark will make sure theses successes continue and expand. ” —Mark Johnson's campaign website, (2014)

See also

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by June Atkinson (D)	North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction 2017 – 2021	Succeeded by Catherine Truitt (R)