Johnson, Susan M.
District town: Windham
Election history: Johnson won the open seat in 2008, succeeding five-term Democrat Walter Pawelkiewicz, who retired.
2008 general election
Susan M. Johnson (D) 5,606 70 percent Daniel M. Lein (R) 2,287 29 percent Robert D. Gorgoglione (CC) 85 1 percent
2008 Democratic primary
Susan M. Johnson 881 70 percent Thomas W. White 385 30 percent
Public financing: Johnson qualified for $24,800 in public financing for her primary campaign and $24,211.25 for the general election under the Citizens' Election Program. She returned $3,372.55 to the state.
Background: Johnson is a former Windham selectman. She worked as an advocate for Medicare recipients as a non-lawyer working for Connecticut Legal Services, then obtained her law degree and opened a law office with her husband.
Committees: Education, Energy and Technology, Finance
Education: A.S., Manchester Community College; B.A., Eastern Connecticut State University; J.D., Western New England School of Law
Occupation: Attorney, O'Brien & Johnson
2008 Financial Disclosure: Johnson reported rental income as her only outside income. She reported no income from O'Brien & Johnson, the law partnership with her husband, Dennis O'Brien.
She and her husband own a home in the Willimantic section of Windham and a condominium in Melbourne, Fla., which they rent. Johnson also owns property in Maine, where she was born. They have limited stock holdings.
Johnson reported owing debts of more than $10,000 to Chelsea Groton Savings Bank and the National City Mortgage Corp.
A note on financial disclosure: Every spring, officials are required to disclose the ownership of real estate, the source of any income exceeding $1,000 in the previous calendar year and securities worth more than $5,000.
Windham
A.S., Manchester Community College! B.A., Eastern Connecticut State University! J.D., Western New England School of Law
Attorney, O'Brien & Johnson
Education, Energy and Technology, Finance, Revenue and Bonding, Insurance and Real Estate
Johnson is a former Windham selectman. She worked as an advocate for Medicare recipients as a non-lawyer working for Connecticut Legal Services, then obtained her law degree and opened a law office with her husband. She pushed successfully this past year for funding in the state budget to avert the planned closures of both the juvenile courthouse and state law library in Windham.
Johnson won the open seat in 2008, succeeding five-term Democrat Walter Pawelkiewicz, who retired. She easily defeated GOP challenger John French by more than 1,100 votes two years later.
John E. French! Susan Johnson! Susan Johnson
