La Tonya Johnson

Not to be confused with LaTonya Johnson, the basketball player.

La Tonya Johnson (born June 22, 1972) is an American childcare provider, trade union activist, and politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She currently serves in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the seat formerly held by Barbara Toles, having easily defeated her independent opponent in the November 2012 general election.

Background

Johnson was born June 22, 1972^[1] in La Grange, Tennessee. She earned a B.S. degree in criminal justice from Tennessee State University, and has lived in Milwaukee for twenty-eight years. She owned and operated Anointed Child Care Service, an in-home daycare service, and served as president of Local 502 of AFSCME, the union which represents in-home daycare providers in Milwaukee County.^[2][3] She has one daughter, Sydney.

Nomination and election

When Barbara Toles resigned from her Assembly District 17 seat, Johnson was one of four candidates who vied for the Democratic nomination in this recently redistricted^[4] inner city district. She achieved an easy plurality, with 43% of the vote, in a field which included a former Milwaukee Area Technical College Board member with UAW ties, and an aide to Assemblywoman Elizabeth Coggs.^[5][6]

In the general election, she drew 20,262 votes, to 3564 for her sole opponent, banker Anthony Edwards.^[7]

References

External links

• Campaign website on Facebook
• Interview with Johnson on WisconsinEYE