28 Facts About Drew Johnson

Jason Andrew Johnson is an American political columnist, policy analyst, and former think tank founder and executive.

Drew Johnson was the Republican nominee for Nevada's 3rd congressional district in the 2024 election.

Drew Johnson writes frequently about tax and budget issues, technology and telecommunications policy, and the environment, and is credited with popularizing the use of investigative journalism by think tanks.

Drew Johnson was the founder and first president of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, now known as the Beacon Center of Tennessee.

Drew Johnson later edited the editorial page of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Drew Johnson is a former columnist and editorial writer at The Washington Times.

Drew Johnson worked at the National Taxpayers Union, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, and the American Enterprise Institute.

Drew Johnson was narrowly defeated in a 2022 bid for the Clark County Commission.

Drew Johnson grew up in Drew Johnson City, Tennessee, and graduated from Science Hill High School in 1997.

Drew Johnson was raised by a single mother who worked two jobs.

Drew Johnson then earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Belmont University and a Master of Public Policy degree from Pepperdine University.

Drew Johnson was a Koch Fellow at the Institute for Humane Studies and the American Enterprise Institute.

Drew Johnson lived out of his car while starting his career.

Drew Johnson founded the Tennessee Center for Policy Research in 2004.

On July 1,2012, Drew Johnson joined the Chattanooga Times Free Press as opinion editor for the Free Press editorial page, writing editorials and a weekly column.

Drew Johnson later claimed that his firing was a result of the criticizing Chattanooga's electric company, EPB, one of the newspaper's largest advertisers.

Drew Johnson then joined The Washington Times as a columnist, editorial writer and author of the newspaper's weekly "Golden Hammer" column, which exposed an egregious example of wasteful spending of tax dollars.

Drew Johnson hosted a weekly "Golden Hammer" television segment based on the column that was available on some Sinclair Broadcast Group stations' local news broadcasts.

Drew Johnson joined the National Center for Public Policy Research as a senior scholar in 2017.

Drew Johnson again investigated Al Gore's home energy use in a 2017 report written for the National Center for Public Policy Research.

Drew Johnson has opposed the death penalty and the Patriot Act, spoken out against anti-Muslim bias and criticized Republicans for increasing government spending.

Drew Johnson has written in support of free speech, gay marriage and drug legalization.

In 2016, Drew Johnson called Trump a "socialist" and in 2020 called his presidency an "embarrassment" after a federal execution.

Drew Johnson has said he wants to be in Congress to help move the Republican Party beyond Trump.

Drew Johnson served as commissioner on the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth from 1997 to 2006, and was named to the Tennessee Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights in 2008.

Drew Johnson currently serves as the public member of the Nevada State Board of Optometry.

Drew Johnson is married to marketing consultant and travel blogger Sarah Reeves Johnson and they live in Las Vegas.

Drew Johnson is credited with starting the Vegas Golden Knights' "Victory Flamingo" tradition, in which fans of the NHL team toss pink plastic flamingos on the ice in celebration of Vegas Golden Knights victories.