Johnson lost her reelection bid in 2009 to Republicanpolitical newcomer Bill Knight. In 2011, she ran for election again, this time for an at-large city council seat, having garnered the most votes of any candidate in the October, 2011 city primary. In the November, 2011 election, Johnson won the majority of the at-large vote, reclaiming her city council position of Mayor Pro-Tem.
She is married to Walter Johnson, who is an attorney; they have four children. In February 2010 the Greensboro Economic DevelopmentAlliance (GEDA) awarded her with the Stanley Frank Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the executive director of One Step Further, a non-profitUnited Way Agency in Greensboro that provides mediation and court alternative programs to Greensboro's youth. Johnson serves on the board of directors for Malachi House and was the Women's Resource Center's first president. She has also served on boards for Greensboro Housing Coalition, Foster Friends, Sports Dreams and the Greensboro Arts Council.