(Elizabeth Crum) – Someone new, first time candidate Orrin Johnson, has filed and is joining Pat Hickey in jumping into the GOP primary race for Heidi Gansert’s now up-for-grabs Assembly seat.
Some bio info from his campaign team:
– Orrin put himself through college at the University of Minnesota on a Navy ROTC scholarship, making ends meet by working for his school’s police department.
– After graduating, he served in the U.S. Navy for six years as a Surface Warfare officer, “driving” Destroyers around the world and deploying overseas three times in support of missions such as Operation Southern Watch and the post-9/11 Operation Enduring Freedom.
– After leaving the Navy, Orrin attended law school at the University of Washington in Seattle where he met his wife, Alicia. Orrin and Alicia were married at Alicia’s parents’ home in Reno – the same home she had grown up in as a little girl. After graduation, the Johnsons settled in Reno to raise their own family. Baby Lillian was born last year.
– Since moving to Reno, Orrin has engaged in the community, working as a public defender for Washoe County. He’s volunteered to coach a high school mock trial team, assisted with speech and debate programs at various schools and taught 5th Graders about the justice system. He’s participated in various charity events, and has been active for years in promoting Republican events, ideas, causes and candidates.
I talked with Johnson briefly this morning. Here’s what he said when I asked him what he thinks differentiates him from other candidates:
“Well, the fact that I’ve been a conservative blogger for years sets me apart.
The ideas and principles that underlie good government should be studied and pondered and put out to survive the forge of debate. I recently finished reading a book called, “Ronald Reagan: In His Own Hand.” It was a reproduction of his notes and drafts of his many radio spots but if you didn’t know any better, you’re swear you were reading a blog that was written in the late ‘70s.
He wasn’t afraid to put his ideas out there firmly and positively, and I wish we saw more of that today. Without that foundational consideration of our core principles to build on, it’s harder to view individual policy decisions in terms of a long term vision. And a lack of long term vision – marked most notably by spending like there’s no tomorrow when times are temporarily flush – is exactly why we face Nevada’s ongoing fiscal and economic crisis.”
Here’s his new site: http://orrinjohnson.com
Gansert’s seat is sure to attract more wishfuls. Who’s next…?
(Ms. Crum is editor of the Nevada News Bureau and writes NNB’s “The Blog”)
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