Mississippi State Senator Chris Johnson is a far-right Republican politician whose career is defined by attacking LGBTQ+ people, women’s reproductive freedoms, and public education.
As the self-styled champion of “family values,” Johnson has led the charge on some of the nation’s most extreme anti-LGBTQ+ laws – from legalizing discrimination against same-sex couples to banning transgender youth from sports, health care, and even bathrooms. Instead of solving real problems, Johnson targets vulnerable communities and wedges divisive culture wars into Mississippi law.
His ultra-conservative agenda, including a near-total abortion ban and efforts to curb what schools can teach, puts him wildly out of step with everyday Mississippians. Johnson isn’t protecting families – he’s assaulting basic rights, all while neglecting issues like jobs, healthcare access, and infrastructure that his constituents desperately need.
Key Vulnerabilities
Cruel Anti-Trans Record: Johnson’s sponsorship and votes on anti-trans bills (sports ban, health care ban, bathroom ban) provide clear examples of him targeting children and marginalized youth. These laws were unnecessary (there were virtually no trans athletes or issues in MS schools) and unpopular among Gen Z and suburban voters. Framing Johnson as having “spent his time bullying vulnerable kids instead of helping our schools” can dent his image.
Total Abortion Ban Support: Johnson’s proud support for Mississippi’s near-total abortion ban (with almost no exceptions) is far more extreme than what most voters, even many conservatives, support. Emphasize that he would force rape victims (even children) to give birth and has blocked voters’ voices on the issue – positions that can repel women, independents, and liberty-minded conservatives.
Out-of-Touch Extremism: Highlight specific quotes and bills showing Johnson on the fringe: e.g. his vote to ban nearly all discussion of race in classrooms, or any incendiary rhetoric he’s used about LGBTQ+ people. Painting him as an ideologue obsessed with culture wars – “fighting phantom threats in classrooms and bathrooms” – can make him seem disconnected from local economic and public safety concerns.
Chris Johnson is the most dangerous kind of extremist in Mississippi politics: ruthless in his ideology, obsessed with culture wars, and willing to sacrifice his constituents’ basic freedoms to score far-right political points. He’s built his career attacking LGBTQ+ people, women, public school teachers, and even democracy itself—and now he’s running for re-election in a state that’s beginning to question his priorities.
He has:
A relentless record of sponsoring and voting for anti-LGBTQ+ laws—banning trans youth from sports, criminalizing gender-affirming care, and forcing trans students out of public restrooms.
Led the charge on abortion bans with no exceptions, helping make Mississippi ground zero for the post-Roe assault on reproductive rights.
Sought to gut the ballot initiative process to block Mississippians from voting on issues like abortion and Medicaid expansion—showing he doesn’t trust the people he represents.
In a state where voters are desperate for real solutions—on jobs, healthcare, education, and infrastructure—Chris Johnson is busy pushing bills written by far-right national groups like ALEC. He isn’t solving problems. He’s manufacturing outrage.
