Faith Simmons Johnson (via her website)
Gov. Greg Abbott has named former State District Judge Faith Simmons Johnson as Dallas County district attorney, replacing Susan Hawk, who resigned on Sept. 6 due to continuing issues with depression.
Johnson, 65, has been in private practice as an attorney for the past 10 years. Faith Johnson & Associates, based in Irving, specializes in church and non-profit law.
Before running for judge, Johnson worked as a criminal prosecutor in the Dallas County D.A.’s office and was the first African-American woman to become chief felony prosecutor before she left, according to her law firm’s website.
WFAA reported she was one of 11 applicants for the job.
In appointing Johnson, Abbott made a strategic rather than ideological choice. While he could have appointed someone extremely right wing to fit with his ideology, he instead chose a moderate Republican who has a chance of re-election in 2018 in Democratic Dallas County.
