GOP representative resigns to be next university chancellor

Ohio Republican Rep. Bill Johnson announced Tuesday that he will resign to become president of Youngstown State University (YSU) in Ohio.

The Board of Trustees voted to offer Johnson the position of president and authorized the university to begin contract negotiations Thursday. seconds to a YSU press release. Johnson announced then he withdrew to serve in office since January 2011 representing Ohio’s 6th Congressional District.

“After much thought and prayerful deliberation, I have accepted the offer to lead Youngstown State University and will not seek an eighth term in Congress,” Johnson tweeted.

After much thought and prayerful deliberation, I have accepted the offer to lead Youngstown State University and will not seek an 8th term in Congress. As I said earlier, I was not looking for another job, because I love the one I have serving the people of the East…

— Rep. Bill Johnson (@RepBillJohnson) November 21, 2023

Students and teachers he asked against the decision to induct Johnson as president and booed his approval Tuesday night at the Board of Trustees meeting, seconds on WFMJ, an Ohio-based outlet. The petition against him has nearly 2,000 signatures, calls Johnson “an extremist politician” and lays out a litany of political grievances.

“Youngstown State is an educational university. It’s not a political institution. We’re here to educate people, not indoctrinate them, not politicize them,” Johnson said at a news conference Tuesday after the decision, according to WFMJ.

“Everyone’s hair is on fire because they think I’m going to bring my politics here, but if everyone else can bring their politics and their ideology here and I can’t, how is that fair? I think everyone needs to leave their politics and their ideologies at home and let’s focus on creating opportunities for our students where they can dream big,” Johnson said, according to WFMJ.

YSU and Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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