{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://adriansmith.house.gov/thank-you-senator-johanns", "Thank You, Senator Johanns", "2014-11-26", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "NE", "Adrian Smith", "S001172", "adriansmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As a Governor, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and U.S. Senator, Mike Johanns has been one of the greatest public servants in the history of the State of Nebraska.\u00a0 While his career in politics will conclude at the end of this year, his legacy, example, and impact will continue.\nMike Johanns\u2019 public service began in 1983 when he was elected to the Lancaster County Board.\u00a0 In 1988, he was elected to the first of two terms on the Lincoln City Council, before being elected Mayor of Lincoln in 1991.\nIn 1998, he began as an underdog running for the Republican nomination for governor.\u00a0 However, his well-organized campaign, focus on solutions, and pragmatic approach to the issues led him to a landslide victory in both the primary and general elections.\u00a0 These qualities continue to serve him and the people of Nebraska well.\nI first met Mike Johanns when he was Mayor and I was a member of the Gering City Council.\u00a0 Soon after, he was elected Governor and I was elected to the Legislature.\u00a0 As a member of the Legislature, I saw his strong leadership first-hand.\u00a0 He always focused on doing what he believed was right for the state in the long run, over what was politically expedient.\u00a0 He balanced the budget, provided tax relief, and set a record for the number of bills vetoed.\nIt was no surprise when President George W. Bush nominated Governor Johanns to serve as his Secretary of Agriculture in 2004.\u00a0 As President Bush stated when making his announcement, \u201cGovernor Johanns is a man of action and of complete integrity.\u00a0 He knows how to bring people together to achieve results.\u00a0 He has been a superb leader for the people of Nebraska.\u201d\nWhile we were sorry to see then-Governor Johanns leave, it was significant to have a Nebraskan in such an important post for our state\u2019s ag economy.\u00a0 He also left the state government in good hands:\u00a0 Governor Dave Heinemann is now completing 10 years in this role.\nSecretary Johanns left the Department of Agriculture in 2007 to return to Nebraska and run for the United States Senate.\u00a0 He easily won in 2008.\u00a0 By then, I was serving in the House of Representatives and it was a pleasure to work with Senator Johanns, this time in Washington.\nSenator Johanns has been a model of leadership, integrity, and statesmanship in the Senate.\u00a0 He sought solutions, not the spotlight.\u00a0 He has remained true to his conservative convictions, but always tried to find agreement and common ground with the other side.\u00a0\nI am deeply thankful for Senator Johanns and his wife Stephanie for their service to our state and our nation.\u00a0 I join all Nebraskans in wishing them Godspeed as they move on to the next chapter of their lives.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://adriansmith.house.gov/thank-you-senator-johanns"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.798054039478302, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}