Pampa’s very own Dr. Jay Johnson was elected to his seat on the Texas State Board of Education on Tuesday night and received nearly 90 percent of the vote in Gray County.
“I’m happy and I’m excited. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to serve,” Johnson said of his win.
He says that his faith will greatly influence the decisions he makes in the coming years.
“The area we live in is a pretty conservative area with a lot of Christian values. I am a member of First Baptist Church and I’m a Deacon there, that will be greatly influencing the decisions I make,” Johnson said.
“Being from the Texas Panhandle, the large percentage of my constituents will hold the same values I do. And I will certainly look at everything fairly.”
Former Texas State Representative Warren Chisum was instrumental in Johnson’s campaign, and Johnson says that he will continue to lean on Chisum to make connections with people he will need to know in order to navigate his new position.
“Warren (Chisum) is a great guy. I really appreciate his leadership and his guidance to help me know what to do. He gave me a lot of advice,” Johnson said.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to travel with Warren as much as I was going to because COVID-19 hit. He knows a lot of people in Austin and people that I probably need to know just to navigate my way around (this position).”
“Warren and I have been friends for a long time and I think he will help me in any way I need.”
Johnson says that he is grateful for Gray County voters and is excited about being elected to his new position on the State Board of Education.
“I had a pretty overwhelming victory. I think that the Republicans are strong in the 77 counties that I represent. Especially in Gray County, I appreciate all the support I have received. I have already had many calls for congratulations already,” Johnson said.
“I appreciate everybody that has voted for me and I’ll try to make them proud.”
