Betty Johnson, a longtime Waldo County commissioner from Lincolnville died on Tuesday after a brief illness, according to the county.
Johnson was elected to four terms on the Waldo County Commission, where she served for 15 years. She was in her second year as chair of the commission. Over the years she also was active in a number of civic organizations and the local Democratic Party.
“She was widely admired for her poised, creative leadership, empathetic decision-making, and good sense of humor, which brightened even the most challenging moments,” Waldo County commissioners said in a joint statement Wednesday.
Johnson served on numerous committees and boards, including with the Maine County Commissioners Association, Midcoast Council of Governments, Belfast Creative Coalition, AIME (Artivism in Maine), HiiT (Helping Incarcerated Individuals Transition), Coastal Counties Workforce Board, Waldo County Comprehensive Community Health, Aging Well in Waldo County, Waldo County Wellness Committee, Maine Board of Occupational Safety, Homeless in Maine Consortium, Midcoast Public Health Council, and the Waldo County General Hospital Healthy Communities Coalition.
Before being elected to the Waldo County Commission, she was a member of the county’s budget committee and the Lincolnville Select Board, and she was active with the Waldo County Democrats.
The Maine Democratic Party praised Johnson’s commitment in a statement Tuesday.
“Even after decades of service, Betty never stopped showing up. She remained deeply engaged in Democratic organizing, always ready to share her wisdom and steady presence,” the party said.
Johnson was a Democratic National Convention delegate six times between 1996 and 2024 and served as a presidential elector in 2016 and 2024, according to the Maine Democratic Party.
She had attended county meetings as recently as Dec. 18, when the county budget committee cut benefits and salary increases to the commissioners.