'Good riddance!' GOP lawmaker scorched for fleeing D.C. for academia

He's bidding D.C. adieu, and Ohioans are cheering.

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) made it official that he won't be seeking another term in Congress after accepting an offer to become Youngstown State University's next president.

"After much thought and prayerful deliberation, I have accepted the offer to lead Youngstown State University and will not be seeking an 8th term in Congress," he posted on Twitter/X. "As I’ve stated previously, I wasn’t looking for another job, because I love the one I have serving the people of Eastern Ohio in the U.S. House.

"This was an extremely difficult decision."

And it apparently was a bumpy ride to the finish line to replace former Ohio State University head football coach Jim Tressel, who left the position in February.

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The YSU university's board convened an emergency meeting last week, and board members voted 8-1 in favor of hiring Johnson, save for board member holdout Molly Seals who voted against him.

YSU Faculty spokesman Mark Vopat said the Board of Trustees' search was done with "next to zero transparency" and that the pick was "someone with no higher education experience or a terminal degree in any academic field."

But in the end, the university Board say they secured the right leader.

“We wanted someone who loved Youngstown State," said YSU Board of Trustees Chairman Michael Peterson. "We wanted someone who was passionate about this university… who’d be passionate about the students, and that’s what we have."

The retired Air Force Lt. Colonel who's been in office since 2011 noted that he wasn't going to leave right away.

"This is not a goodbye, however," he wrote. "I will continue serving in the House for several more months, and you will see no let up."

Both the hiring as the academic institution's top job and his departure from serving the Sixth District were met with a mixed bag of ridicule and respect.

@ChrisK419 was unenthused. "Unbelievable. I am going to send my diploma back to ysu. I will no longer support any of the athletic programs either. I'm embarrassed to be a YSU alumni."

A tweet from @GrammaPam65 reads: "You should be kicked out of our country. Traitor."

"Good riddance," wrote @BizarroTrump10. "Your stink will linger for quite awhile."

Frederick Haiss commented: "Ahh the mule skinner carpet bagger leaves."

There were a few sprinkled supporters.

"Congratulations on being selected on leading Youngstown state university. What an honor to lead a university & the students faculty and staff will be wonderful hands," wrote @MilaniFisher.

Johnson said he intends to finish through on securing a better tax emption legislation, rail safety, streamlining exports, and getting the country fiscally stable.

Until he leaves, "It’s business as usual," he said.