Andrew Johnson leaves Minneapolis City Hall after 10 years
Johnson earned reputation as a swing vote on a frequently ideologically divided city council
Minneapolis Council Member Andrew Johnson closed out a decade of public service as his successor Aurin Chowdhury was sworn into the Ward 12 seat on the Minneapolis City Council on Tuesday afternoon.
Johnson, who represented the eastern part of south Minneapolis, was one of the few swing votes at the sometimes contentious and ideologically-divided Minneapolis City Hall. He chose not to run for re-election in November and resigned a little more than a month early to start a new job at a renewable energy investment firm.
It was just over a decade ago that Johnson was debating whether to run for Minneapolis City Council. The I.T. systems engineer was facing his third eye surgery to deal with glaucoma. He didn’t know if he’d even have his vision in a few years, but he knew he wanted to serve.
“You have no guarantees in life so I said this is work that I’d love to do, and make a difference and make the world a better place in the time that I do have,” Johnson said. “You know what, I’m probably not going to win, but I’m going to run for it.”
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The political novice challenged 16-year incumbent Sandra Colvin Roy, who had controversially voted in support of the new Vikings stadium. After Colvin Roy dropped out after the DFL failed to award an endorsement in the race, Johnson won against the remaining candidates and found himself an elected member of city council.
Many political candidates meet people while campaigning, but Johnson was already active in the neighborhood and was accustomed to talking through issues the city faced with them, according to Melanie Majors, who worked under Johnson as executive director of the Longfellow Community Council.
Majors saw Johnson bring this approach to dialogue and policy even when he went to city hall.
“We disagreed on a number of big issues, but we never had an argument,” Majors said. “He was always very willing to compromise. He always really wanted to talk over a situation. Even when he left to become a council member, he’d call me about stuff that was kind of controversial. That’s just literally who he is.”
When Johnson took office in 2014, he became both the first millennial on the council and the youngest sitting member at the age of 29. He said the campaign made him realize that he wasn’t beholden to anyone but Ward 12 voters and that he could govern as an independent.
Johnson has been positioned for the last few years at the ideological middle of the council, which sometimes irritates people at either extreme, according to John Edwards, a Minneapolis-based journalist, pundit and Wedge Live podcast host.
“The left side of the council got even further to the left, the moderate or more conservative side got further to the right,” Edwards said. “He’s continued to play that middle role, kind of the swing vote, not as predictable as other council members.”
Losing Johnson, who prioritized collegiality and dialogue, could make it more challenging for the council to get work done.
“He has a deep need to have his arguments heard, understood and respected, which is not as common with some council members,” Edwards said. “Whether you agree with him or not there’s a chance to challenge him, ask him questions. He wants to be heard and he wants to explain it to you and let you know why he did something.”
Johnson said he believes the council member’s job requires them to bring about balance and push good policy forward that lifts people up across the city.
“I think it’s fair to characterize me as a swing vote,” Johnson said. “This is rooted in me being a systems engineer, someone who really wants to approach each issue with an open mind, really understand the problem, what we’re trying to solve for and how we can best accomplish that.”
In the last decade, Johnson is proudest of helping the city better support small businesses, of pushing a paid safe and sick leave policy that helped tens of thousands of workers during the pandemic and of starting a 911 workgroup, which has led to alternatives to police responses like the behavioral crisis response teams.
Johnson’s tenure hasn’t been without difficulties. He served through George Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis police officer, civil unrest, the pandemic and a big budget crisis for the city.
“Any one of these challenges alone could have been the challenge of a generation, but to have all of them at once was overwhelming,” Johnson said. “At the same time, it’s a humbling position to be able to lead through crisis. It really helps focus an individual and presents lots of opportunities for growth.”
Johnson also has regrets about some votes, particularly for acquiescing when he was told that it was too late to relocate the Southwest Light Rail Transit line or build a pedestrian mall on Nicollet Avenue.
Many of the issues he’s worked on — including police accountability, climate change and racial equity — are things he says the council will still need to address. But he’s concerned council members often don’t work well with each other.
“We have seen a change in how some council members are even talking about behaving in public meetings, where they have been willing to insult others, question their motives, trash the mayor, that sort of thing,” Johnson said. “It’s just not helpful. It’s really destructive in terms of a form of conflict management and ultimately hurts their ability to be influential and get things done.”
On issues like public safety and police accountability, Johnson said he’s “cautiously optimistic,” citing the appointment of Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara as a bright spot. The voter-approved change to a “strong mayor” system has changed dynamics at city hall though, Johnson said.
“The jury is still out on this new system. Any time you have lines of power that are redrawn, it’s going to take some time for the dust to settle,” Johnson said. “There’s going to be a lot of detail that still has to be worked out, and that’s what’s happening right now.”
Johnson also said the city will face an economic challenge in addressing big issues like homelessness at the same time as providing the core services, like snow plowing, which residents expect.
“There’s always this inclination I’ve seen at city hall to try to solve all the world’s problems locally, especially when they’re not being solved at levels like a federal level to the degree we think they should be,” Johnson said. “We are going to reach limits in terms of what the city’s capable of.”
Chowdhury, who was endorsed by Johnson and handily beat her opponents in the election earlier this month, was sworn in Tuesday afternoon, so Johnson could transition over to his new role at a renewable energy investment firm. Johnson said he endorsed her because she’s open-minded, a hard worker and connected across the state.
Johnson said he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife Sara, two young sons and 12-year-old cockapoo Rosie. He believes philosophically that it’s good to have regular turnover in elected office, and he’s ready for a new challenge.
In Johnson’s final email to constituents, he thanked them for the opportunity to serve for the last decade.
“Minneapolis is the city I love. It’s one I am proud to call home and to have served,” Johnson said. “It’s not without its challenges and flaws, but I know that together we can rise to these challenges and continue to perfect our great city, whose best days are surely ahead.”