Salt Lake County’s governing body has a new member with deep roots in the community and firsthand experience with some of its most pressing social challenges. Remington “Jiro” Johnson, an assistant director at the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association until this month, was appointed to the Salt Lake County Council in mid-June to represent District 1.

Johnson, who is 39, was chosen by the Salt Lake County Democratic Party to succeed Arlyn Bradshaw, who stepped down after 14 years to join the office of County Mayor Jenny Wilson. Under Utah law, when a partisan seat is vacated midterm, the political party of the departing member fills the vacancy.

The race to replace Bradshaw drew unusually high interest, with 17 Democrats filing to be considered. One candidate withdrew before voting, leaving 16 contenders, including nonprofit leaders, community organizers, and experienced political staffers. The party’s central committee used a ranked-choice voting system to whittle the field in multiple rounds. Johnson ultimately emerged as the winner after 13 rounds of balloting, receiving 53 votes to edge out his nearest rival by six votes. He was formally sworn in days later during a brief ceremony at the County Council offices.

District 1 includes much of Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, and parts of West Valley City. It covers neighborhoods that range from historic eastside areas to diverse westside communities like Glendale and Rose Park. The district is home to major commercial corridors, public transit lines, the Jordan River corridor, and much of the county’s urban homeless population. It has long been a Democratic stronghold in a county where political control is closely contested between Democrats and Republicans.

Johnson was born and raised in Salt Lake City’s Liberty Wells neighborhood. He attended West High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science with a minor in history from the University of Utah. While in college, he served as president of the Young Democrats of Utah and completed a Hinckley Institute internship at the Utah Legislature.

He went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C., graduating with honors as both a George Washington and Thurgood Marshall Scholar. While in law school, he worked at the Federal Election Commission, focusing on campaign finance investigations, and contributed to the Federal Circuit Bar Journal.

After clerking and practicing in Washington, Johnson returned to Utah in 2013 and joined Manning Curtis Bradshaw & Bednar, where he worked on complex civil and employment litigation cases. Two years later, he moved into public defense, joining the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association, where he rose to an assistant director role overseeing operations and training. The office handles thousands of cases each year for clients who cannot afford private attorneys, many of whom face challenges related to housing insecurity, substance use or mental health needs.

Beyond his day job, Johnson has served as president of the Utah Minority Bar Association and sat on the board of LGBTQ+ and Allied Lawyers of Utah. He has taught legal courses at the Utah State Prison and has mentored young attorneys entering the public sector.

Johnson has emphasized that he sees the County Council role as an extension of his work advocating for underrepresented and underserved communities. He has said he will focus on housing affordability, better support for unhoused residents, and treatment-based alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illness or substance use disorders.

His district includes some of the county’s highest concentrations of homelessness, with many residents struggling to secure stable housing. Salt Lake City and surrounding areas have experienced ongoing debates over the siting of shelters, affordable housing development, and the balance between enforcement and social services.

He is the first Black and Japanese-American representative to serve in this role. He uses his Japanese middle name “Jiro” professionally, reflecting his mixed heritage and his commitment to greater representation of historically marginalized communities.

Johnson’s appointed term runs through January 2027, the end of Bradshaw’s original term. He has already indicated he plans to run in 2026 for a full four-year term representing District 1.

Public defender Jiro Johnson was appointed to the county council. (Photo courtesy Salt Lake Legal Defender Association)