The “old gray mayor” rides to the Capitol

Above: Sen. Johnson shows off his personalized license plate, which bears his nickname.

Sen. Jerry Johnson grew up on a farm south of Holdrege. While attending high school, he sang in quartets and participated in many high school musicals, such as Carousel and Oklahoma!

“I was an understudy for Jud Fry, who was always trying to steal Laurey,” he said, recollecting the plot of Oklahoma!

“I am not a natural actor,” he said. “But evidently, I am not inhibited either.”

Johnson later moved to Gothenburg and became involved in the community playhouse, in which he was cast as the leading role of Curly—the protagonist to Jud’s antagonist. Perhaps his portrayal of the two foes has made him more able to see both sides of an argument.

After attending Luther Junior College in Wahoo, he worked for a petroleum co-op. He then moved to a management position at a different co-op, where his ability to listen and build consensus was recognized, so he was asked to manage another co-op that was troubled.

His skills proved useful, and he later became the chief financial officer of a merged co-op and managed many others throughout rural parts of the state.

Later, he was elected to the city council and served as mayor of Wahoo.

Johnson said he had reservations about running for the Legislature only because he did not want to give up his remaining two years as mayor.

Johnson is married to Arlene. They have two children—Bryce and Valerie—and five grandchildren, all of whom live in Nebraska.

The senator continues to sing in a barbershop chorus and has come to be known for a tune he often finds himself singing: the folksong “The Old Gray Mare.”

As a result, his wife refers to him as “the old gray mayor,” a play on the title of the song, which he proudly displays on his license plate.