Biography:

Eddie Bernice Johnson was born in Waco, Texas and lives in Dallas. She studied nursing at Notre Dame in 1955, and in 1967 obtained a bachelor's degree in nursing from Texas Christian University.

In 1976, she graduated from Southern Methodist University with a master's in public administration. She worked as a registered nurse in Dallas, then for 16 years, starting in 1956, was chief psychiatric nurse and psychotherapist at the Veterans' Administration Hospital in Dallas.

She later worked at Neiman-Marcus and as a consultant to the Zale Corp.

In 1977, she was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as regional director of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. She worked in HEW's Washington office as executive assistant to the administrator for primary health care, 1979-81.

She returned to Dallas and started several business ventures. She established Eddie Bernice Johnson & Associates, a business consulting and strategy firm that branched out into airport concession management.

She holds five honorary doctoral degrees.

She was first elected to the U.S. House in 1992.

Johnson is divorced with one son, Kirk Johnson, and three grandsons.

Past Campaigns:

Eddie Bernice Johnson became the first black woman from Dallas County elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1972. She held her state house seat until 1977.

During her tenure in the Texas House she was the first woman in the history of the state to chair a major House committee when she won the House Labor Committee chairmanship in 1974.

Active in Democratic Party politics, Johnson was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1976 and 1984, and vice chairwoman of the Texas Democratic Party from 1976-1977. She was an executive committeewoman from 1972-1976.

She resigned from the Legislature in 1977 when appointed to HEW, then resumed her political career in 1986 when elected to the Texas Senate.

She was elected to the U.S. House in 1992 with 74 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Lucy Cain.

She defeated Cain again in 1994 with 73 percent.

Johnson won re-election in 1996, defeating Republican John Hendry with 55 percent of the vote.

In 1998, Johnson was re-elected, defeating Republican Carrie Kelleher with 70 percent of the vote.

She won re-election in 2000 with 92 percent of the vote. In 2002, she was re-elected with 74 percent of the vote.

She faced no major party opposition in 2004.

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