Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) has accepted a job as president of Youngstown State University. He won’t leave office right away, though, as he said he has some unfinished business to complete before he goes.

Don’t worry, his is a safe Republican seat. He has been doing work on behalf of the victims of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio and wants to finish that, to name some of his unfinished business.

“I will continue serving in the House for several more months, and you will see no let up,” Johnson wrote on the social media platform X. “There is still much left on my agenda to do before I depart Congress, including doing all I can to help pass tax exemption legislation to benefit the people of East Palestine as well as a broader rail safety bill, streamline America’s LNG export process, and advance a responsible budget and spending package for the remainder of this fiscal year.”

When officials in the Biden administration were slow to react and visit the disaster site, like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Johnson was quick to go. He was one of Ohio’s elected officials who worked closely with Governor DeWine to address the needs of the community. In March he introduced the East Palestine Tax Relief Act to ensure East Palestine residents and businesses who receive disaster relief payments following the East Palestine train derailment on February 3, 2023, are exempt from paying taxes on any compensation related to the derailment.

Johnson has represented Ohio’s 6th District since 2010. He plans to remain for several more months and said that the decision to leave was “extremely difficult.”

Bill Johnson Statement on Youngstown State University Board of Trustees Action: pic.twitter.com/Uvs0BK9RSn

— Rep. Bill Johnson (@RepBillJohnson) November 16, 2023

The seat is a solidly Republican one and that is a good thing because it looks like a tough slog for Republicans to keep their razor thin majority in the House. It is very likely that the House will flip to a Democrat majority and the Senate to Republican majority.

Johnson’s departure would not likely put his seat in play next year. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the 2024 race Solid Republican, and in 2020 President Donald Trump carried the district by 29 percentage points. Johnson had $1.3 million in his campaign account on Sept. 30, the most recent filing with the Federal Election Commission shows.

Johnson has a legacy as a conservative Republican. He was a strong supporter of Trump’s presidency.

Johnson, a social conservative, opposes abortion and restrictions on gun rights. He was among the more than 100 GOP members who voted against certifying election results from Arizona and Pennsylvania in January 2021 after former President Donald Trump falsely claimed to have won the 2020 presidential election.

Enter the discontented at Youngstown State University. His conservative values are controversial among YSU alumni. They sent a letter to the university’s board of trustees Saturday denouncing Johnson’s opposition to gay marriage and his objection to the 2020 election results.

The Board’s refusal to incorporate the greater YSU community in its decision making flouts basic values of transparency, accountability, and democratic participation,” they wrote. “The fact that Johnson’s positions are highly contentious — and directly relevant to the diverse interests and identities of YSU’s student body — increases the need for public vetting of his candidacy.”

Alumni also launched a Change.org petition Friday disagreeing with YSU’s decision to offer the position to Johnson, also citing Johnson’s stance on abortion, immigration and diversity, equity and inclusion issues. As of Tuesday morning, the petition had over 1,800 signatures.

The board held a special meeting Monday afternoon regarding the presidential search, but local reports indicated Monday that Johnson and YSU were negotiating contract terms.

It seems to me that the institutions of higher learning in America could use more conservative leadership. The dominance of liberal and progressive college and university presidents have produced the students we see in the streets in support of Hamas and calling for the destruction of Israel. The rise of antisemitism has not been only among far-right fringe groups. We see now the huge number of antisemitic progressives. They have been indoctrinated on college campuses across the country. It is time for a major correction. More conservatives are needed on college campuses.