U.S. House Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), who became a trailblazer for African American women in politics, announced her retirement Saturday through Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. The 85-year-old congresswoman is the latest among a series of House Democrats to announce their retirement as President Biden’s approval rating plummets. Johnson, who represents most of the Dallas area, became the first African American to chair the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. She was also the first Black woman elected to state public office from Dallas. To Pelosi, Johnson is “a dedicated and highly effective leader on behalf of Dallas area families and the entire nation for her thirty years in the Congress and nearly 50 years in public service.” Johnson was first elected to the House in 1992 and recently appeared at the COP26 conference to argue for climate change.
