2006
Main article: Georgia 4th congressional district election, 2006
In 2006, Johnson challenged Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney in the Democratic primary for the 4th District—the real contest in this heavily Democratic, black-majority district. He forced McKinney into a runoff by holding her under 50% in the July 18, 2006 Democratic primary: McKinney got 47.1% of the vote; Johnson 44.4%, and a third candidate got 8.5%.[22]
In the runoff of August 8, 2006, although there were about 8,000 more voters, McKinney got about the same number of votes as in the July primary. Johnson won with 41,178 votes (59%); McKinney got 28,832 (41%).
The 4th is one of the most Democratic districts in the South; with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+22 at the time of the election, it was the second-most Democratic district in Georgia (only the neighboring 5th is more Democratic
Johnson was unopposed for reelection in 2008
Johnson won reelection over the Republican candidate, business owner Liz Carter, gaining 131,760 of 176,467 votes, or 74.67% of the total. Carter, who is white,