GOP Assemblyman’s Move to Senate Bolsters Brown’s Hand
Ross Johnson, a Republican Assembly member from Orange County who helped put Democrat Willie Brown in the Speaker’s chair and then tried to topple him, moved to the Senate on Thursday in a shift that helps extend Brown’s reign.
Johnson won a special election Tuesday to replace former state Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach), who resigned in January to take a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
Johnson, 55, took his Senate oath shortly before noon and said he was “delighted to be in the state Senate and to leave the (Assembly) quarrels to the young people.”
Johnson was first elected to the Assembly in 1978 and served for a time as the house’s minority leader.
After the GOP won a bare Assembly majority in November’s elections, Johnson was a leader in efforts to replace Brown with the current minority leader, Jim Brulte (R-Rancho Cucamonga). That bid failed when Assemblyman Paul Horcher of Diamond Bar switched from Republican to independent and voted to reelect Brown.
Republicans are hoping to topple Brown by recalling Horcher and winning special elections to fill Assembly vacancies. But Johnson’s move to the Senate delays that goal.
The Assembly now has Horcher, 39 Democrats, 38 Republicans and two vacancies. The Senate has 21 Democrats, 17 Republicans and two independents.
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
