PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 28, 2024
CONTACT: Davis Lundy 423-240-5749
[email protected]

Army Veteran, Trump Appointee Wayne Johnson

Announces Run For Congress
It’s Time to ‘Stop the Stupid in Washington’
Macon, Columbus, Albany, Americus and Thomasville, Ga. – Dr. Wayne Johnson will file qualifying
papers next week in order to run for the Republican nomina on in Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District. If
he becomes the Republican nominee in the May 21 primary, he will face long-term, liberal incumbent
Sanford Bishop in the general elec on in November.

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 Educa on 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 interna onally. He has enjoyed both ca le and tree farming and has worked
for major corpora ons with es to Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District. Johnson has been a rock-solid
conserva ve for decades, is pro-life and is a serious gun owner.

“My message has been and will con nue to be that we must “Stop the Stupid in Washington”
and address the kitchen table issues impac ng every family in our district,” said Johnson. “A er 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 coun es 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 ci zens
of Middle and Southwest Georgia. He promises to be first and
foremost commi ed to the hard-working people of the
district.
“It’s very straigh orward for me,” Johnson said. “Everyone in Washington can see the problems, but our
representa ves have made a poli cal art of only iden fying 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 devasta ng
infla on of the past three years hits home. The average family in the district is spending more than
$700 a month due to infla on. Johnson believes he can make an improvement difference with his
financial services background and experience in crea ng more than 10,000 good-paying jobs over the
span of his career.

“Biden infla on, endorsed by Sanford Bishop, has been devasta ng 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 popula on is dismally low and educa on opportuni es 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 es mates 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 immigra on on local communi es. 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 me, he also worked in opera ons at a local bank and that experience served as
the founda on 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 sta on assignment and choice of Army
branch assignment.

Johnson was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army – serving on ac ve duty in Texas, Alaska and
Georgia. His ini al branch assignment was the Army Medical Service Corps. Johnson served in Alaska as
an officer on the staff of Norman Schwarzkopf. At this me Johnson was a ached to
an arc c infantry ba alion trained in how to fight in an arc c environment. Part of his ba alion’s duty
was to provide protec on for construc on of the Trans Alaska Pipeline, where he learned first-hand
ac ons 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. A er Alaska, Johnson was sta oned at Fort McPherson in Atlanta,
serving under Gen. Colin Powell. Powell, like Johnson, was commissioned through the Army ROTC
program. Johnson con nued to be ac ve in the U.S. Army Reserve a er serving four years on ac ve
duty.

Military support is at risk. Johnson will ba le 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 Presiden al
Execu ve Branch of our na on’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
trea ng people with respect. Serving in Washington as part of the Execu ve 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 Administra on, USDA and Departments of Educa on and Homeland Security can be
made to work for the ci zens of Georgia’s 2nd District.”

Farmers Need Water and Workers

During his earlier run for Congress Johnson heard me and me again from farmers the importance of
being able to access deep-water irriga on. Unfortunately, deep water wells are expensive. This has led
Johnson to develop a plan for financing this type of irriga on over 40 years, making this type of irriga on
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 ac on in this regard.

Educa on Must Be Driven At State and Local Levels By Parents

As a senior official within the U.S. Department of Educa on, Johnson learned first-hand how Federal
educa on policy and Federal funding related to educa on can be weaponized against parents and is
being used to indoctrinate school a ending children. Johnson believes that this situa on must change,
accountability to conserva ve values enacted and serious considera on given to abolishing the U.S.
Department of Educa on.

Parents desperately want to be involved in the educa on decisions of their children. Enrollment is
declining in several parts of the district. There is a lack of funding for programs and even facili es.
Johnson will collaborate with state and local leaders to facilitate solu ons, while promo ng the need for
more voca onal 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 universi es to pocket billions of taxpayer money while at the same me pu ng 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 na on’s student loan situa on is a sad, sad mess,” said Johnson. “In fact, it
is a financial abomina on 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 poli cal pandering at its worst
and a prime example of why we need to ‘Stop The Stupid in Washington.’

“Biden’s student loan debt cancella on machine is poli cal 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 poli cal act by a President who is floundering
for re-elec on.”

Addi onal Issues Needed to Be Addressed to ‘Stop the Stupid in Washington

Na onal Debt - The na onal 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 cri cal 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 en re career. He can get it done.

Our First Responders face significant challenges when it comes to recrui ng and paying qualified staff.
Johnson will propose a federal program to support increased pay and establishing re rement 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 facili es, Johnson knows how
to work to improve funding for rural healthcare and ambulance services.

A correct census count is essen al to rural coun es 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 coun es, money they
cannot afford to lose. In Quitman County, es mates 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 coun es where the
undercount seems obvious.

Your Vote Ma ers

The Georgia primary, which includes the Republican congressional

primary in the 2nd District, occurs on May 21. Early vo ng 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 elec on in November,” said Johnson. “Together, let’s ‘Stop
the Stupid in Washington.’ ”

www.JohnsonCongress.com

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