Leland G. Christensen (April 30, 1959 – February 4, 2022) was an American politician who was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

Wyoming Senate The Wyoming Senate is the upper house of the Wyoming State Legislature. There are 30 Senators in the Senate, representing an equal number of constituencies across Wyoming, each with a population of at least 17,000. The Senate meets at the Wyomi ...

, representing the 17th district from 2011 until 2019.

Life and career

Christensen was born in

Alta, Wyoming Alta is a census-designated place (CDP) in Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 394 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Jackson, WY– ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, and it is located between Driggs, Idaho and the G ...

, and lived in

Jackson, Wyoming Jackson is a town in Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 10,760 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 9,577 in 2010. It is the largest town in Teton County and its county seat. Jackson is the principal town of ...

. He worked as a law enforcement officer and an auctioneer. He served for fifteen years in the

Wyoming National Guard The Wyoming Military Department is part of the Government of Wyoming. Its primary components are the Wyoming Army National Guard, and the Wyoming Air National Guard. Leadership The Commander in Chief As of June 14, 2022, the current Commande ...

and with the 19th Special Forces Group in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

. He died from complications of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

Idaho Falls, Idaho Idaho Falls (Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: Dembimbosaage) is a city in and the county seat of Bonneville County, Idaho, Bonneville County, Idaho, United States. It is the state's largest city outside the Boise metropolitan area. As of the 2020 Un ...

, on February 4, 2022, at the age of 62, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Idaho. At the time of his death, Christensen was receiving chemotherapy for

non-Hodgkin lymphoma Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), also known as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is a group of blood cancers that includes all types of lymphomas except Hodgkin lymphomas. Symptoms include enlarged lymph nodes, fever, night sweats, weight loss, and tiredness. ...

Electoral history

2010

After incumbent

Senator Grant Larson announced his retirement, Christensen - then a Teton County

Commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...

- announced his candidacy. He defeated Sam Harrell in the Republican primary and defeated Democratic candidate Tom Frisbie in the general election, 52% to 48%.

2014

Christensen was re-elected to the

State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

unopposed in both the primary and general elections.

2016

Christensen ran for the

U.S. House The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

seat held by

Cynthia Lummis Cynthia Marie Lummis Wiederspahn ( ; born September 10, 1954) is an American attorney and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Wyoming since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Lummis served as the U.S representative ...

after Lummis announced her retirement, but lost in the primary to

Liz Cheney Elizabeth Lynne Cheney (; born July 28, 1966) is an American attorney and politician who has been the U.S. representative for since 2017, with her term expiring in January 2023. She chaired the House Republican Conference, the third-highest p ...

on August 16, 2016. He ran for

state treasurer In the state governments of the United States, 48 of the 50 states have the executive position of treasurer. New York abolished the position in 1926; duties were transferred to New York State Comptroller. Texas abolished the position of Texas ...

but lost in the primary to

Curt Meier Curt Meier (born January 1, 1953) is an American politician from the state of Wyoming. A Republican, he is the Wyoming State Treasurer. He was a member of the Wyoming Senate, representing the 3rd district from 1995 through 2019. Meier was appoin ...

, and did not seek reelection in the State Senate.

References

External links

Profile
on Ballotpedia 1959 births 2022 deaths 21st-century American politicians American auctioneers Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Idaho People from Jackson, Wyoming People from Teton County, Wyoming Wyoming National Guard personnel County commissioners in Wyoming Republican Party Wyoming state senators {{Wyoming-politician-stub