I read my own radio ads instead of using a station announcer, here’s one of them.
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Read the script
Hi! I’m Brendan J. Johnson and I’m running for State Senate with no corporate cash and no paid staff. Just me, my wife, God, and a 20-year-old Corolla with a manual transmission. I work full-time in IT, so the campaign happens after work and on my days off.
My parents and I have been complaining about the same stuff at the kitchen table for years and decades now. I want to help fix them. I’m determined to do what’s right.
Paid for by Brendan Johnson for State Senate.
Why I’m Running
I grew up on my family’s old dairy farm in Fostoria and I’ve worked as a grocery clerk, IT technician, construction laborer, school photographer, and licensed chauffeur. Today I work full-time in IT, and I’m running for State Senate to do what’s best for everybody in this district.
At just about every job I’ve had, I was told to slow down, not because I wasn’t doing good work, but because there wasn’t enough time to train me on everything I was willing to take on. When I looked at what this district actually needs from its senator, it felt like I’d finally found the right place for that energy.
I want to be the kind of senator you can actually call, no matter how you voted, when you’re getting the runaround from the state on a permit, a license, or even a question no one wants to answer, and I’d never send you off to somebody from your own party instead. That’s what constituent service means to me, and it’s at the heart of everything I’m running for.
Off the Clock
In May, I got to marry Shelby at the same place I grew up.
I won a 30-06 in a youth deer hunting raffle the same year I got my first deer, and these days, I’m fixing up our 1950s house and keeping my Corolla on the road.
“I always love learning how things work and figuring out how to improve things.”
Your senator’s office should be a resource you can rely on. I’ll make it my job to help residents cut through state bureaucracy and get real answers from Lansing.
Affordability: Car Insurance & Healthcare
Michiganders deserve relief from some of the highest car insurance rates in the nation and rising healthcare costs. I’ll fight to protect the Healthy Michigan Plan and push for real car insurance reform.
Public School Funding Reform
The state ties roughly 90% of a district’s per-student funding to a single count day in October. I’ll work to fix how Michigan funds public education so teachers can focus on teaching, not attendance gimmicks.
Roads & Infrastructure
Our roads are an everyday reality for every driver in District 26. I’ll push for infrastructure investments that fix our roads and make our communities more connected and more attractive to employers.
Jobs & Workforce Development
District 26 needs more local employers offering full-time positions with good benefits. I’ll support workforce training and retraining programs that connect residents with in-demand skills.
Thomas Township (Saginaw Co.), June 1, 2026Marathon Township (Lapeer Co.), March 25, 2026Watertown Township (Tuscola Co.), May 13, 2026
I’m on a listening tour across the townships, cities, and villages of District 26, going to local government meetings to find out what people are actually dealing with and what they want changed.
Meeting recaps, constituent conversations, and updates from the listening tour, all on Facebook.
Here’s an example of what I post:
Brendan J. Johnson for State Senate
Posted on Facebook,
At the packed Maple Grove Township meeting last night, I got to learn how the Twin Township Ambulance is practicing total transparency. They're a non-profit ambulance servicing Maple Grove and Hazelton Townships so the locals don't have to rely on the for-profit ambulance services that are farther away. Their operation costs are staying flat, with a yearly difference of merely $22, but last year they ran 536 fewer calls than the year prior, meaning they lost a big chunk of income.
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Keeping the crew ready to go around the clock costs the same whether they get called twice that day or twelve times, and the part that got me was the math for their calls. On average, they receive $411 from insurance and patients, township and government support adds $152, donations and events add another $30, but they still lost $80 on every single call. They finished the year down $212,323 with $3,736 left in the bank. They're not even asking the township for money, they're just being clear about how things have been going.
People from the Twin Township Ambulance preemptively came out to say where things stand while they have multiple options to choose from, and they even asked for the residents to weigh in. To be honest, I've never thought of an ambulance as a business before last night, but it was good to be able to learn and talk about it with them directly.
30 meetings across all 4 counties for my listening tour.
This is a lean, grassroots campaign (no hired staff, no paid consultants, and no unnecessary overhead). My only recurring expense is a PO box. I handle most of it myself, the same way I approach everything else: as efficiently as possible. When you contribute, it goes toward reaching voters, not toward keeping an operation running.
I know this is a long shot, and I’m not doing it alone. Every hour you give and every donation goes toward letting the people here know how I want to help.
