Gene Johns

In the 1970 general election, Johns unseated Republican incumbent Delmer R. Mitchell to represent the 57th Legislative District in the Illinois Senate.^[1] The 57th district included Franklin, Gallatin, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, White, and Williamson counties in Southern Illinois.^[3]

Johns served in the Illinois Senate from 1971 until his death in 1984. During the 77th General Assembly, Johns served as a member of the Agricultural Commodity Commission, Economic Development Commission, Visitation Commission, County Problems Commission, and Equal Opportunities Commission. He is Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Agriculture and Conservation Committee. He was also a member of the Welfare Committee and Transportation Committee.^[2] As part of the 1970 decennial redistricting process, Johns was redistricted to the 59th Legislative District, which consisted of the old 57th district, but added Alexander and Union counties.^[4] Johns was opposed to the Equal Rights Amendment.^[5]

In October 1981, Johns was indicted for the alleged misuse of campaign funds related to his hard-fought 1978 reelection bid.^[6][7] A few months later, in January 1982, Johns was acquitted on all charges.^[8] In the 1982 general election, Johns defeated C. L. McCormick, a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, and Ben Brinkley who ran under the banner of the Southern Illinois Equal Rights Party.^[9]

Johns died from cancer at the Carbondale Memorial Hospital in Carbondale, Illinois.^[10] Glenn Poshard, one of Johns's opponents in the 1982 Democratic primary, was appointed by local Democratic leaders to succeed Johns in the Illinois Senate.^[11] In that years general election, Poshard was victorious winning 47,230 votes to Republican Robert Winchester's 39,173 votes and Independent candidate and Gene Johns' widow Eve Johns' 5,862 votes.^[12]

• Gene Johns at Find a Grave