Julie Johnson

Julie Elizabeth Johnson is the U.S. Representative for Texas's 32nd congressional district, a role she assumed in January 2025. Born on May 2, 1966, in Kansas City, Kansas, Johnson was raised in a family of educators and spent her youth in Alabama and Texas. She attended the University of Texas at Austin, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in history and government in 1987, and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center in 1991. Before her entry into politics, she spent nearly three decades as a trial attorney specializing in personal injury, employment law, and civil litigation, where she established a reputation for defending workers and students. Johnson's legislative career began in 2018 when she was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 115. During her three terms in the state legislature, she became one of the most prolific lawmakers in Austin, passing over 100 bills and authoring the state's first bipartisan Medicaid expansion bill. She also co-founded the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus and was recognized as "Freshman of the Year" by Texas Monthly. In 2024, she was elected to the 119th U.S. Congress, making history as the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to Congress from the Southern United States. In the U.S. House, Johnson serves on the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, and House Administration. Her federal legislative record includes efforts to reform healthcare prior authorization, bolster defense for Baltic states, and protect voting rights through the VOTE Act. Throughout her term, she has remained active in advocating for consumer protections and humanitarian standards in immigration enforcement. Following the 2025 Texas redistricting, she sought election to the 33rd congressional district in 2026 but was unsuccessful in the primary runoff held in May of that year.

Julie Johnson's policy positions are rooted in progressive Democratic priorities, with a heavy emphasis on healthcare access and civil rights. She supports the expansion of Medicaid, the protection of the Affordable Care Act, and legislation to lower prescription drug costs. On reproductive health, Johnson is a firm advocate for abortion access, co-sponsoring the Women's Health Protection Act to codify Roe v. Wade and supporting the repeal of the Hyde Amendment. Her economic platform includes raising the federal minimum wage, protecting the right of workers to organize through the PRO Act, and opposing cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits. Regarding immigration, she advocates for due process and transparency in detention facilities, having called for investigations into ICE misconduct and opposed policies that promote mass detention and deportation. Additionally, she is a staunch supporter of LGBTQ+ equality, opposing bans on transgender military service and advocating for federal non-discrimination protections.