Biography
Dr. Theodore R. Johnson is a Senior Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute that seeks to improve our systems of democracy and justice. He is also a retired Commander in the US Navy, an author, and a nonresident Fellow at New America, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, DC. In his role as a Senior Fellow, he is writing a book on race in the United States and contributes to the Center’s commentary on current policy debates on the nation’s democratic processes and institutions.
As a cybersecurity and intelligence officer in the Navy, Ted served in a variety of prestigious positions, including as a White House Fellow, Speechwriter to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Energy, and Military Assistant to the Director of the National Security Agency. He also served as a Military Professor at the Naval War College, deployed to the Arabian Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and conducted humanitarian assistance missions in Bangladesh and the Philippines while serving abroad in Okinawa, Japan.
Ted’s research and writing on politics and voting patterns has been featured in numerous national publications, including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic, among many others. His writing has been nominated for a Hillman Prize and an Exceptional Merit in Media Award and led to multiple media appearances on CNN, MSNBC, CSPAN, and flagship radio programs The Takeaway and Here and Now, and a TEDx talk.
His doctoral work on political behavior was awarded the Dean’s Medal for Outstanding Doctoral Work, and he has been invited to speak at Harvard University’s Kennedy School, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Hammer Museum, University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, and Northeastern University’s Political Communications program. Has also moderated numerous panels on national security issues as well as race relations at think tanks and the US Chamber of Commerce.
Ted holds a doctorate in public policy from Northeastern University, a master’s degree from Harvard University with a concentration in International Relations, and a degree in Mathematics from Hampton University. He was awarded more than 20 medals and ribbons for his military service. Ted is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and resides in northern Virginia with his wife and sons.
