Cole Christensen
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Cole Christensen
| image = Cole Christensen by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| caption = Christensen at the 2022 Hazlitt Summit hosted by Young Americans for Liberty Foundation
| state_house = North Dakota
| district = 24th
| term_start = December 1, 2020
| term_end = February 23, 2024
| predecessor = Daniel Johnston
| successor = Rose Christensen
| party = Republican
| residence = Rogers, North Dakota, U.S.
| birth_place = Jamestown, North Dakota, U.S.
| spouse = {{marriage|Mazzie Boyd|2023}}
| relatives = Rose Christensen (grandmother)
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1997}}
| birth_name = Cole Christensen
}}
Cole Christensen (born 1997) is an American politician who served as a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives from the 24th district between 2020 and 2024. Christensen resigned from office in order to move to Missouri, he appointed Rose Christensen, his grandmother, to succeed him for the remainder of his term.{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=T. J. |date=2024-02-27 |title=State Representative Cole Christensen Resigns To Move To Missouri |url=https://www.kvrr.com/2024/02/27/state-representative-cole-christensen-resigns-to-move-to-missouri/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=KVRR Local News |language=en-US}}
Early life and education
Christensen was born in 1997 in Jamestown, North Dakota, one of four children, to Frank R. Christensen, a chimney sweep contractor, and Laurie Jean Christensen.{{Cite web|date=2020-10-05|title=BREAKING: Family Policy Alliance Endorses Cole Christensen for State House of Representatives|url=https://familypolicyalliance.com/issues/2020/10/05/breaking-family-policy-alliance-endorses-cole-christensen-for-state-house-of-representatives/|access-date=2021-08-24|website=Family Policy Alliance}} His paternal great-grandfather, Axel J. Christensen, immigrated to North Dakota from Nykobing Falster, Denmark prior to 1913.{{Cite web |date=2006-07-12 |title=A. Dale Christensen |url=https://www.jamestownsun.com/news/a-dale-christensen |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=Jamestown Sun |language=en}} He is a native of Rogers, North Dakota, primarily of Danish descent. He attended the Association Free Lutheran College and Lynnes Welding Training.{{Cite web|title=Cole Christensen {{!}} North Dakota Legislative Branch|url=https://www.legis.nd.gov/biography/cole-christensen|access-date=2021-08-24|website=www.legis.nd.gov}}
Career
Christensen has worked as a welder. He is also the manager of a seed plant. Christensen was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives in November 2020 and assumed office on December 1, 2020.{{Cite web|title=Cole Christensen|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Cole_Christensen|access-date=2021-08-24|website=Ballotpedia|language=en}} In May 2021, Christensen was selected as "Legislative Rookie of the Year" by fellow members of the House.{{Cite web|title=Rep. Cole Christensen Named Legislative Rookie of the Year|url=https://www.newsdakota.com/2021/05/04/rep-cole-christensen-named-legislative-rookie-of-the-year/|access-date=2021-08-24|website=News Dakota}}
In August 2022, Christensen was revealed to be a member of a Telegram group called the North Dakota Young Republicans which "frequently featured bigoted slurs and white supremacist tropes" in its messages between members, including personal attacks against gay public figures and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.{{cite news|url=https://www.inforum.com/opinion/columns/port-republi-message-group-posted-slurs-while-candidates-activists-and-elected-officials-looked-on|title=Republican message group posted slurs while candidates, activists, and elected officials looked on|work=The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead|first=Rob|last=Port|date=August 19, 2022|access-date=September 4, 2024}}
In 2023, Christensen co-sponsored HB 1522, a bathroom bill which also prohibited schools from requiring people to use a student’s preferred pronouns.{{cite news|url=https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/05/12/fargo-public-schools-rejects-trans-bathroom-law/|title=Fargo Public Schools rejects trans bathroom law|publisher=KFYR|first=Joel|last=Crane|date=May 11, 2023|access-date=October 9, 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://legiscan.com/ND/bill/HB1522/2023|title=ND HB1522 {{!}} 2023-2024 {{!}} 68th Legislative Assembly|publisher=LegiScan|access-date=October 9, 2024}} Regarding transgender children, he said: "They throw on womanhood like it’s a cape and I think that’s one of the most degrading things to females, is to pretend that anyone can be a biological female, when that’s just scientifically impossible, no matter how many hormone blockers you take." The bill was signed into law by Governor Doug Burgum on May 8, 2023.
Christensen resigned from the North Dakota House in February 2024 in order to move to Missouri. His grandmother Rose Christensen was appointed to succeed him.{{Cite web|title=Rep. Cole Christensen’s grandmother appointed to fill his term|url=https://northdakotamonitor.com/briefs/rep-cole-christensens-grandmother-appointed-to-fill-his-term/|access-date=2024-03-03|website=North Dakota Monitor}}
Personal life
On November 19, 2023, Christensen married Mazzie Boyd, a fellow state legislator who serves in the Missouri House of Representatives, also for the Republican Party, in Valley City, North Dakota.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-17 |title=Port: North Dakota state lawmaker is marrying another state lawmaker from Missouri |url=https://www.inforum.com/opinion/columns/port-north-dakota-state-lawmaker-is-marrying-another-state-lawmaker-from-missouri |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=InForum }}
References
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Category:People from Barnes County, North Dakota
Category:Republican Party members of the North Dakota House of Representatives
Category:People from Jamestown, North Dakota
Category:American people of Danish descent
Category:21st-century members of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly
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