Former 15th District Congressman Tim Johnson has died. He was 75.
The Champaign News-Gazette reports that Johnson passed away Monday night at his Urbana home among family and friends.
Johnson served in Congress from 2001 to 2013, winning 6 terms as a Republican.
Johnson began his career in public service as an Urbana City Council member in 1971. n 1976, Johnson was elected to serve as a State Representative after besting five other Republican candidates in the 1976 Republican primary.
Johnson won election to Congress in 2000, and was known for cold calling nearly every constituent home in his district during his 6 terms in office. On April 5, 2012 Johnson announced he wouldn’t seek re-election and would retire.
Republican Party chairmen from the 14 counties in the new 13th Congressional District selected Rodney Davis as his replacement. Davis has served in the 13th District ever since.
Known as a moderate, Johnson never lost an election despite his voting record sometimes angering the far right wings of the Republican Party. According to the News-Gazette, he most recently won being elected to the board of Parkland College in 2014.
Funeral arrangements for Johnson are pending.