The voters of Florida House District 22 elected Chad Johnson (R) on Tuesday night to his first term in the Florida House of Representatives by a 14% margin of votes.
Johnson, 53, had been endorsed by incumbent Rep. Chuck Clemons (R), who made the endorsement after term limits prevented him from running again.
Despite the tense election, the atmosphere in the room at the Stonehouse Neighborhood Grill while waiting for the results was lively and optimistic. Johnson was surrounded by friends and family — his wife Angela, 54, and two of his sons Quin, 26, and Bryden, 25.
“I felt like I knew during the whole general,” said Johnson in the lead up to the election results. “We had a great team, and I don’t feel like we left anything undone.”
This marks the second consecutive time since the redistricting in 2022 that a Republican candidate has been elected to the district. The recently redistricted area includes Levy, Gilchrest and part of Alachua County.
Although Johnson is a new face in the Florida House, he is not a stranger to elected office. He held a seat as a Levy County Commissioner from 2009 to 2014 before taking what he thought would be a permanent hiatus from public office. He decided to reenter the political scene and joined the race this year after, he said, he saw no other primary candidates that understood fiscally constrained and rural counties that the district includes.
Johnson was born in Gainesville and graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in food and resource economics. He would then go on to work as a UF IFAS ambassador and a professional auctioneer. He also served as the president of the Levy County Farm Bureau and the Florida Auctioneer’s Association.
“Hotdog!” Johnson said while receiving the call notifying him of his victory. “I’m feeling both relieved and excited at once, so many emotions going on right now.”
Johnson defeated Democrat candidate David Arreola, 33, a former Gainesville city commissioner.
Johnson outperformed Arreola in campaign donations raising $247,610 compared to Arreola’s $157,232. The total number of votes cast for the candidates was 89,276.
Until other positions, members of the Florida House of Representatives take office upon election at midnight on the day of the election. Johnson will take office immediately Wednesday at midnight and will begin representing his district for an annual salary of $29,697.
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