In 1996, Johnson was the Democratic party nominee for US Congress in the Second Congressional District of Oklahoma, defeated by Tom Coburn.
During his college years, he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and is currently serves on the National Foundation board of directors of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.
[2] Johnson is the 8th Chancellor of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education having assumed the position in January, 2007.
In 2012, Johnson was elected to the Southern Regional Education Board of which he still a vice chairman.
In 2014, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges have appointed Johnson to its Council of Presidents and the same year he was elected to the State Higher Education Executive Officers' Executive Committee.