“You, you are the ones who are going to make a difference in this election,” said Rev. Rob Johnson at the end of his speech to the Drake Democrats during their meeting on Sept. 11.
Johnson is running as a Democrat to represent District 34, the district that includes Drake University, in the Iowa House of Representatives.
Johnson first moved to Des Moines to attend Drake University in 2006. He graduated in 2010 after having an active stint at Drake. For a period of time, Johnson served on Student Senate as Senator At-Large.
“This is where I ran my first campaign, here on Drake’s campus,” Johnson said. “I knew I wanted to represent everybody, so I did it; I ran for at-large senator. I printed out some big old flyers and put them all over the campus. It really gave me the opportunity to get some understanding of craft messaging, see what people want to hear and see how we’re able to make that happen because of that.”
In the years that followed his graduation, Johnson continued to get more involved in politics and the community. He first became politically active when working for Representative Ako Abdul-Samad, who has served District 34 since 2007. Johnson continued to work for Abdul-Samad for years, and is now running to take over for him in the House.
Long-time representative and civil rights leader Abdul-Samad has long been held in high regard by the Des Moines community.
Johnson later worked with gubernatorial candidate Deidre DeJear in her race, as well as on President Joseph Biden’s and Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaigns.
“I liked being behind the scenes,” Johnson said. “But [Abdul-Samad] said, ‘No, Rob, I think [running] is something important,’ and I eventually said, ‘You know what, you’re right.’ I prayed on it – my faith is big to me. My family is big to me, so I talked to my family about it, and we got out there.”
Prior to running for the House, Johnson was most known for his gas giveaway. Every year on his birthday, Jan. 21, he works to raise tens of thousands of dollars, the goal being $40,000 last year, to provide free gas to those who need it.
The event has gotten stronger each year, even garnering him recognition on a much larger scale when it was featured in a segment on the “Kelly Clarkson Show.”
“Rob [Johnson] is an amazing individual,” said Bright College student Gabrielle Brooks, who currently works for the Johnson campaign. “The care he shows the community is evident in his philanthropy.”
As far as his current platform goes, Johnson has made clear that the mental health crisis is his priority.
“I’m the guy who does the funerals for these young people who are dying by suicide,” Johnson said. “I’ve done seven funerals this year for kids under the age of 18. It is rough, it is tough being out there doing that, so we have to fix this mental health issue.”
Johnson’s biggest talking point in this campaign is the community. He has consistently fought for the people during his time in Des Moines and largely credits his family for keeping him inspired.
“When my mother died, I understood that there was more purpose in me to really help live out a legacy that this woman had left behind,” Johnson said. “When my son was born, I understood that there will be a legacy that I will have to leave behind, and running for office for me is more about making sure that our neighbors are taken care of and leaving that legacy to know that it’s okay to love thy neighbor as you love yourself.”
To read coverage of his opponent, Danielle Duggan, click here.
