FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2020 Contact: info@champaigncountydems.com
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY DEMOCRATS SLATE MILITARY VETERAN FOR TREASURER VACANCY
The Champaign County Democratic Central Committee voted overwhelmingly to slate Cassandra “CJ” Johnson as the Democratic candidate for Champaign County Treasurer in the November election.
Johnson is a retired Air Force veteran, achieving the rank of Senior Master Sergeant, with a wealth of experience running financial offices. Her military assignments included serving as an operations officer for the Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché, managing budgets totaling over $20 million; partnered with Department of State entities to investigate expenditures and prepare Congressional Budget Justification and provided complete audit of over $90,000,000 in defense foreign assistance funding; and served as chairperson of the International Cooperative Administrative Support Services where she was responsible for oversight of billing all services that the State Department provided to other agencies, totaling over $7 million annually.
Upon retiring after almost 22 years of service, Johnson moved to Champaign with her wife, a fellow veteran with roots in Central Illinois, to be close to family, work on an EdD in Organizational Change and Leadership, and to acclimate to civilian life.
“I am honored to be slated as the Democratic candidate for county treasurer,” said Ms. Johnson. “I understand the office has issues to address and my two decades of military experience and commitment to the principles of democracy will quickly put the office on track. I will rebuild community trust in the Treasurer’s office and I have the necessary skills, time, commitment, and willingness to collaborate with fellow public servants to realize that goal.”
The sub-committee tasked with vetting treasurer candidates determined it was unacceptable to recommend the current treasurer for slating. The pending complaint from AFSCME Local 900 in front of the Labor Review Committee is a serious issue and her repeated demonstrations of disregard for the rights of her staff are incompatible with the democratic principles that value unions, worker’s rights, and safe workplaces.
In 2018 Democratic candidates swept 5 countywide seats and in 2020 are posed to take 3 more. Additionally, 11 Democratic county board candidates are running for election or re-election. The addition of Ms. Johnson as the treasurer candidate makes 27 Democratic candidates on the Champaign County November ballot.
With the November election of Ms. Johnson as treasurer and Chaundra Bishop as coroner, Champaign County will finally break the glass ceiling and elect African-American women to countywide seats. They will join democratic County Clerk Aaron Ammons who, in 2018, was the first African-American man elected to a countywide seat.
“The Champaign County Democrats are proud to have a diverse representation of candidates and elected officials,” says Democratic Party Chair Carol Ammons. “We are the party of the people and as demonstrated by the voters, the party of Champaign County.”
### Champaign County Democrats-A diverse, growing and countywide party.