Joe Johnson will celebrate all over Raleigh.

The Republican candidate for superintendent of public instruction will watch election returns with his campaign staff while out at dinner and at his campaign headquarters. Johnson also is planning on stopping by Fred Smith's party later this evening.

After that, he'll "see what else the evening holds."

It's not hard figuring out where Joe Johnson went to high school.

The campaign web site for the Republican candidate for state schools superintendent points out that he graduated from East Henderson High School, Keung Hui reports.

But when it comes to his higher education credentials, it only says he got a bachelor's degree in business administration.

When asked, Johnson said he got his degree from California Coast University which happens to be an online school.

As for his GOP opponents, Eric H. Smith briefly attended Forsyth Technical Community College before going to two different flight schools to get his pilot's license, while Richard Morgan graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Joe Johnson wants to raise the state's cap on charter schools.

Johnson, one of three Republican candidates for superintendent of public instruction, issued a statement today that the number of charter schools should be raised from the current cap of 100 to 230 by 2012.

"This plan will place North Carolina, aggressively, near the top of states that place a cap on charter schools," Johnson said. He said 16 states do not place a cap on charter schools.

While he wants to expand the number of charter schools, Johnson said he would "demand accountability" over their use of public funds.

Two more last-minute filings came in this morning.

Former House Speaker Richard Morgan filed as a Republican candidate for superintendent of public instruction, and former Raleigh City Councilman John Odom has filed as a Republican candidate for insurance commissioner.

Morgan faces Tryon resident Joe Johnson in the Republican primary and either Superintendent June Atkinson or N.C. Association of Educators president Eddie Davis; Odom faces assistant insurance commissioner Wayne Goodwin in the general election.

Morgan's wife, Cindy, is running for state senator.

Joe Johnson says the schools superintendent should be accountable.

The Tryon resident, who is running for the Republican nomination for superintendent, told Dome that the problem with the position is that it doesn't have enough power. He said Bob Orr's plan to make the position an appointed one would make things worse.

"I firmly believe in the power of the people to vote for an office," he said.

Johnson said that one problem with the superintendent's role in recent years has been that it has been stripped of some duties for political reasons. He thinks they should be restored.

"Whether we like the individual or not, they are an elected executive official with the state," he said. "They should be able to run the Department of Public Instruction as they see fit for the betterment of our public school system."

At least two more Republicans are running in 2008.

According to a post on N.C. Republican Roundtable, Burlington attorney Jack Sawyer is seeking the GOP nomination for secretary of state and Tryon resident Joe Johnson is running for superintendent of public instruction.

The blog does not name any Republicans for commissioner of insurance.