Edward William Christiansen Jr. (February 2, 1914 – March 28, 2000) was an American politician who served as a state representative and lieutenant governor in Montana.
Life
On February 24, 1914, Edward William Christiansen Jr. was born to Edward William Christiansen and Mabel C. Cork in Fargo, North Dakota. After graduating from North Dakota State University he married Hattie James on December 27, 1947, and moved to
Hardin, Montana.
In 1964, he was elected to the
Montana House of Representatives
The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years.
Composition of the House
:''67th Legislature – 2021†...
after defeating Republican Sam Denny and also served as one of Montana's presidential delegates to the
1964 Democratic National Convention
The 1964 Democratic National Convention of the Democratic Party, took place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey from August 24 to 27, 1964. President Lyndon B. Johnson was nominated for a full term. Senator Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnes ...
. In 1971, the Democratic caucus in the House elected him as the House Minority Leader.
Although he was initially interested in running for governor in the
1972 election, he later chose to run for lieutenant governor after incumbent Lieutenant Governor
Thomas Lee Judge
Thomas Lee Judge (October 12, 1934 – September 8, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 18th governor of Montana from 1973 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 25th lieutenant governor of Montana ...
announced that he would run for the governorship. Christiansen won the lieutenant gubernatorial election, but announced in 1976 that he wouldn't seek reelection and rejected a
draft movement that attempted to have him primary Governor Thomas Lee Judge. During the
1980 Democratic Party presidential primaries
From January 21 to June 3, 1980, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 1980 United States presidential election. Incumbent President Jimmy Carter was again selected as the nominee through a series of primary electio ...
he endorsed Senator
Ted Kennedy.
On March 28, 2000, Christiansen died in Helena, Montana.
Electoral history
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christiansen, Bill
20th-century American politicians
1914 births
2000 deaths
Democratic Party members of the Montana House of Representatives
Lieutenant Governors of Montana
North Dakota State University alumni
People from Fargo, North Dakota
People from Hardin, Montana