PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2024
CONTACT: Davis Lundy 423-240-5749
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Army Veteran, Trump Appointee Wayne Johnson Qualifies to Run For Congress In 2nd District Republican Primary
It’s Time to ‘Stop the Stupid in Washington’
Atlanta, Ga. – Life-long Macon resident Dr. Wayne Johnson today filed his qualifying papers to run in the Republican primary from Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District.
Johnson is a former Army officer, a successful businessman, a farmer and was appointed by President Donald Trump as a senior official with the U.S. Department of Education where he worked closely with the White House.
Johnson, who ran strong in the 2022 primary, was born in Macon and has been a lifelong resident of Georgia. He is a father and grandfather and has been married to his wife, Joy, for 50 years. He obtained his undergraduate and doctoral degrees from Mercer University and his master’s in business from Emory University.
Johnson is a respected former banker who has established businesses in Middle and Southwest Georgia, other parts of Georgia and internationally. He has enjoyed both cattle and tree farming and has worked for major corporations with ties to Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District. Johnson has been a rock-solid conservative for decades, is pro-life and is a serious gun owner.
“My message has been and will continue to be that we must “Stop the Stupid in Washington” and address the kitchen table issues impacting every family in our district,” said Johnson. “After what we have all witnessed coming out of Washington and are experiencing in our everyday lives, it is clear that this focus is more relevant today than ever before.”
Johnson will again be traveling all 30 counties in the district in his truck wrapped with “Stop the Stupid in Washington.” Along the way he will be listening to the needs of people as well as carrying the message that he is a problem solver who can marshal resources from Washington for the benefit of citizens of Middle and Southwest Georgia. He promises to be first and foremost committed to the hard-working people of the district.
“It’s very straightforward for me,” Johnson said. “Everyone in Washington can see the problems, but our representatives have made a political art of only identifying problems. I am a problem solver, someone who has spent his whole life as a problem solver.
“The disconnect between what is going on in Washington and what is happening in Middle and Southwest Georgia is much worse than it was two years ago. People do not feel properly represented anymore. I want to change that, by doing the things that bring resources and jobs to the people, businesses and farms in the 2nd District.”
Kitchen Table Issues Are More Important Than Ever
The kitchen tables in the 2nd Congressional District and across America are where the devastating inflation of the past three years hits home. The average family in the district is spending more than $700 a month due to inflation. Johnson believes he can make an improvement difference with his financial services background and experience in creating more than 10,000 good-paying jobs over the span of his career.
“Biden inflation, endorsed by Sanford Bishop, has been devastating on families in every county in the district,” said Johnson. “The cost of everything is higher than it was two years ago. Looking at the weekly budget around the kitchen table is stressful as you look at the cost of gas, food and the basic needs of living. We are forcing families to choose food over medicine, and that must change. Support services for our aging population is dismally low and education opportunities where parents can decide where to send their children need federal financial support, not federal control.
Close the Southern Border
The Biden/Bishop Southern border is a disaster for America. By some estimates more than 10 million illegal immigrants have crossed into America, including hundreds of immigrants on the Terrorist Watch List and thousands with criminal records. Johnson lived near the border of Mexico, and he has seen up-close the impact of illegal immigration on local communities. He will be a vote to close the Southern Border and lead the fight to establish border policy that works for America first.
Johnson: An American Patriot
Johnson’s service and his love for the military began in the Junior ROTC program at Lanier High School in Macon and obtained the rank of Eagle Scout. Johnson went to Mercer University under Army ROTC for four years. At the same time, he also worked in operations at a local bank and that experience served as the foundation for his career in financial services. In his final year at Mercer, he was named the ROTC Outstanding Cadet, which gave Johnson the choice of duty station assignment and choice of Army branch assignment.
Johnson was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army – serving on active duty in Texas, Alaska and Georgia. His initial branch assignment was the Army Medical Service Corps. Johnson served in Alaska as an officer on the staff of Norman Schwarzkopf. At this time Johnson was attached to an arctic infantry battalion trained in how to fight in an arctic environment. Part of his battalion’s duty was to provide protection for construction of the Trans Alaska Pipeline, where he learned first-hand actions that need to be taken for U.S. oil independence.
Although Johnson did not serve in Vietnam, he is a proud Vietnam era veteran who was prepared to serve wherever his country called. After Alaska, Johnson was stationed at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, serving under Gen. Colin Powell. Powell, like Johnson, was commissioned through the Army ROTC program. Johnson continued to be active in the U.S. Army Reserve after serving four years on active duty.
Military support is at risk. Johnson will battle to increase the value of Robins Air Force Base, Fort Moore (Fort Benning) and Marine Corps Command by bringing more military-focused, technology-based jobs.
“I am proud of my service to my country, as both an Army Officer and as part of the Presidential Executive Branch of our nation’s government,” said Johnson. “The military, along with being an Eagle Scout, taught me the importance of being disciplined in everything I do, doing the right thing and treating people with respect. Serving in Washington as part of the Executive Branch taught me that with proper focus, passion for mission and caring for people, that the various Agencies of government like the VA, Small Business Administration, USDA and Departments of Education and Homeland Security can be made to work for the citizens of Georgia’s 2nd District.”
Farmers Need Water and Workers
During his earlier run for Congress Johnson heard time and time again from farmers the importance of being able to access deep-water irrigation. Unfortunately, deep water wells are expensive. This has led Johnson to develop a plan for financing this type of irrigation over 40 years, making this type of irrigation much more affordable.
Another area of need that Johnson heard repeatedly from farmers was for immigrant farm workers to have long term farm work visas. This is an area where Federal law must be enacted, and Johnson will work diligently to advance Congressional action in this regard.
Education Must Be Driven At State and Local Levels By Parents
As a senior official within the U.S. Department of Education, Johnson learned first-hand how Federal education policy and Federal funding related to education can be weaponized against parents and is being used to indoctrinate school attending children. Johnson believes that this situation must change, accountability to conservative values enacted and serious consideration given to abolishing the U.S. Department of Education.
Parents desperately want to be involved in the education decisions of their children. Enrollment is declining in several parts of the district. There is a lack of funding for programs and even facilities. Johnson will collaborate with state and local leaders to facilitate solutions, while promoting the need for more vocational and technical programs.
Federal Student Loans
Tucker Carlson interviewed Johnson in 2020 and said Johnson “knows more about the federal student loan program than anyone in the country.”
Tucker Carlson also agreed with Johnson that our broken federal student loan program is allowing colleges and universities to pocket billions of taxpayer money while at the same time putting hard-working families into an ocean of lifelong debt.
President Trump appointed Johnson to serve as the administrator of the almost $2 trillion Federal student loan program. “Our nation’s student loan situation is a sad, sad mess,” said Johnson. “In fact, it is a financial abomination on the backs of millions of families. To do something like this, just giving away taxpayer money, without any plan to stop this problem going forward is political pandering at its worst and a prime example of why we need to ‘Stop The Stupid in Washington.’
“Biden’s student loan debt cancellation machine is political vote buying at its worst. All cancelled student loan debt must come with a price of either give-back public or community service or must be repaid in cash. It should never be a government handout. Taxpayers who pay their debts, work hard and live within their means should not be handed a bill for a purely political act by a President who is floundering for re-election.”
Additional Issues Needed to Be Addressed to ‘Stop the Stupid in Washington
National Debt - The national debt is approaching $33 trillion, and it will handicap our children and grandchildren when they have to pay the bill. Having been responsible for managing $1.7 trillion in student loan debt, Johnson is the only candidate who is able to speak with authority on this critical issue.
Workers are needed and people need jobs. Companies are desperate for people with skills and people are desperate for high wage-earning jobs. What is missing are training programs. Johnson has been a job creator his entire career. He can get it done.
Our First Responders face significant challenges when it comes to recruiting and paying qualified staff. Johnson will propose a federal program to support increased pay and establishing retirement plans for law enforcement, firefighters and EMTs.
Rural healthcare needs help. Many people in the 2nd District cannot afford the gas to drive to the nearest medical facility. As the previous owner of more than 20 healthcare facilities, Johnson knows how to work to improve funding for rural healthcare and ambulance services.
A correct census count is essential to rural counties in the 2nd District, and that did not occur in 2020 when the census was done. The result of an undercount is the money lost by these counties, money they cannot afford to lose. In Quitman County, estimates are that half of the people living there were not counted in the 2020 census. Johnson understands the issue and will work to ensure that the next census is done correctly. In the interim, Johnson will look to reopen the 2020 census in rural counties where the undercount seems obvious.
Your Vote Matters
The Georgia state primary, which includes the Republican primary in the 2nd District, occurs on May 21. Early voting for the primary begins April 29 and ends May 17.
“I am asking for your vote in the Republican primary on May 21 and in the general election in November,” said Johnson. “Together, let’s ‘Stop the Stupid in Washington.’ ”
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