Chris Johansen
Chris Johansen | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Maine House of Representatives from the 145th district | |
| In office 2016 – November 19, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Ricky Long[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 3, 1952 |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Cindy (died in August 2021)[2] |
| Children | 2 |
| Occupation | Retired law enforcement officer |
Chris A. Johansen (born April 3, 1952) is an American politician from Maine.[3] He served as a Republican in the Maine House of Representatives for Maine's 145th House of Representatives district, which comprises 20 towns in Aroostook County. An outspoken opponent of state-mandated public health measures put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, his wife later died from the disease. He resigned from office on November 19, 2021.
Maine House of Representatives
[edit]Johansen was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2016, replacing incumbent Ricky Long, who did not seek re-election. Johansen was re-elected to the Maine House in both 2018 and 2020.[1]
COVID-19
[edit]During the COVID-19 pandemic in Maine, Johansen was an outspoken opponent of state-mandated public health precautions taken in Maine to reduce the spread of COVID-19.[4][5] In April 2020 he organized two protests in the State Capitol against statewide business shutdowns, acknowledging the virus was public health threat but arguing restrictions should be relaxed in rural areas[6][7] and calling for a limited reopening of the state's economy.[8] He later joined a group of House lawmakers who refused to wear face masks in the Maine State House despite being required by House leadership to do so. A staged confrontation between these lawmakers and Capitol police drew media attention and lead to the representatives being stripped of their committee assignments for a period of time.[4][9][10]
In late July 2021, both Johansen and his wife, Cindy, became ill with COVID-19.[4][11][12][5] Cindy was admitted to the hospital, and died on August 11.[2][13] A week following her death, Johansen attended a rally in opposition to vaccine mandates for healthcare workers at the Maine State House.[13][14][15] He later wrote his wife was reluctant to be vaccinated due to "the conflicting information we have been getting from day one."[13]
On November 19, 2021, Johansen sent a letter to House Speaker Ryan Fecteau announcing his resignation, citing a need to tend to the family farm following his wife's death.[16]
Career and personal life
[edit]Johansen is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps[17] and the Vietnam War.[18] He is retired from a career in law enforcement[17][18] and lives in Monticello, Maine. Johansen has two children, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He is a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the National Rifle Association of America.[17]
Electoral history
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Chris Johansen | 325 | 52.9% | |
| Republican | Roger Bouchard | 290 | 47.1% | |
| Total votes | 615 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Chris Johansen | 2,653 | 59.9% | |
| Independent | Randy Rockwell | 936 | 21.1% | |
| Democratic | Glenn Hines | 842 | 19.0% | |
| Total votes | 4,431 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Chris Johansen | 716 | 100.0% | |
| Total votes | 716 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Chris Johansen | 2,281 | 66.5% | |
| Democratic | Laura Farnsworth | 1,148 | 33.5% | |
| Total votes | 3,429 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Chris Johansen | 738 | 100.0% | |
| Total votes | 738 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Chris Johansen | 3,484 | 76.7% | |
| Democratic | Robert Zabierek | 1,058 | 23.3% | |
| Total votes | 4,542 | 100.0% | ||
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Chris Johansen". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - 1 2 Harnish, Kathryn (20 August 2021). "Opinion: Who benefits—and who loses—from COVID-19 disinformation?". Maine Beacon. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Chris Johansen's Biography, Vote Smart. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- 1 2 3 "Maine Lawmaker Who Opposed Coronavirus Restrictions Reportedly Has COVID-19". Maine Public. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - 1 2 Stockley, Leela (23 July 2021). "Maine lawmaker who opposed coronavirus restrictions reportedly has COVID-19". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Thistle, Scott (April 17, 2020). "Maine lawmaker organizes protest of governor's coronavirus restrictions". Portland Press Herald. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
- ↑ Whittle, Patrick (April 20, 2020). "About 200 rally, urging Maine to reopen as virus persists". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024.
- ↑ MacDougall, Alexander (April 30, 2020). "Second protest against coronavirus restrictions will violate governor's order, Aroostook County organizer says". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on 2020-06-18. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
- ↑ Writer, Scott ThistleStaff (14 January 2021). "Lawmakers violate Legislature's COVID-19 prevention policies". Press Herald. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Carrigan, Don (24 May 2021). "Seven Maine legislators out of assignments after refusing to wear mask in State House". News Center Maine. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Wlodkowski, Dustin (26 July 2021). "COVID Cases Climb in Maine; Lawmaker Who Mocked the Virus Reportedly Has It". NECN. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Murphy, Edward D. (23 July 2021). "Maine lawmaker who downplayed pandemic's risk contracts COVID-19". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - 1 2 3 Mistler, Steve (23 August 2021). "GOP lawmaker says wife who died of COVID-19 didn't get vaccine due to 'conflicting information'". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Richards, Zoe (20 August 2021). "Maine Lawmaker Whose Wife Just Died of COVID Joins Anti-Vaxx Rally". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Stockley, Leela (20 August 2021). "Maine lawmaker who reportedly lost wife to COVID attends anti-mandate rally". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Andrews, Caitlin (29 November 2021). "GOP lawmaker cites wife's COVID-19 death in resigning Aroostook County seat". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- 1 2 3 "Chris A. Johansen". Maine House of Representatives. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - 1 2 "Rep. Chris Johansen". Maine House Republicans. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
External links
[edit]- Profile at Maine House of Representatives
- Chris Johansen at Vote Smart
- Rep. Chris Johansen Weighs in on Current Legislative Session (video) on WAGM. March 2, 2021