Todd M. Thomsen (born June 24, 1967) is a former
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 ...
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
from the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
. Thomsen served in the
Oklahoma House of Representatives
The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's b ...
as the
Majority Whip
A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. This means ensuring that members of the party vote according to the party platform, rather than according to their own individual ideology ...
and represented District 25 from 2006 to 2018.
Early life and career
Thomsen was a punter and kicker for the
Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners are the athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to a nickname given to the early participants in the Land Run ...
,
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
's football team, from 1985 to 1988 and was part of OU's 1985 national championship team.
He graduated with bachelor's degree in 1989."
He currently serves as Coordinator for the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is an international non-profit Christian sports ministry founded in 1954 and based in Kansas City, Missouri. It has staff offices located throughout the United States and abroad.
History
FCA was found ...
.
Political career
Thomsen was elected in 2006 after he won against Democrat Darrell Nemecek by two votes.
In 2008, Thomsen ran for reelection "in order to continue working to improve education, keep taxes low, and represent conservative values in the Legislature". He was reelected in November 2008 and served in the House as a member of the House Education Committee, and the chair of the House Higher Education and Career Tech Committee.
He has proposed and supported
antievolution resolutions in Oklahoma. In 2009, he gained international attention when he introduced House Resolution 1014 and 1015 on March 9, 2009 opposing
University of Oklahoma's invitation of
evolutionary biologist
Evolutionary biology is the subfield of biology that studies the evolutionary processes (natural selection, common descent, speciation) that produced the diversity of life on Earth. It is also defined as the study of the history of life for ...
,
Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins (born 26 March 1941) is a British evolutionary biologist and author. He is an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford and was Professor for Public Understanding of Science in the University of Oxford from 1995 to 2008. An ath ...
. Subsequently, Dawkins spoke before a crowd in
McCasland Field House
The McCasland Field House is a multi-purpose indoor arena on the University of Oklahoma main campus in Norman, Oklahoma. Home of the basketball Sooners until 1975, the Field House currently hosts the men's wrestling, women's volleyball, and men's ...
at the university about the proposal and said "I am aware that representative Todd Thomsen is not representative of the state of Oklahoma". With the adjournment of the Oklahoma House of Representatives in May 2009, the Resolutions are presumably dead.
In March 2009, Thomsen was appointed to the Oklahoma Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research Advisory Committee whose purpose "is to enhance scientific and engineering research and development conducted at universities in the state and by doing so enhance the success of Oklahoma researchers in
federal award competitions through a partnership of higher education institutions, independent research entities, industry and state government."
Election history
:Results from the Oklahoma State Election Board.
[2006 Election Statistics](_blank)
an
from the Oklahoma State Election Board
District
Oklahoma House District 25 encompasses much of Pontotoc County and portions of McClain County and Pottawatomie County. The biggest city in the district is
Ada, Oklahoma
Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,481 at the 2020 United States Census. The city was named for Ada Reed, the daughter of an early settler, and was incorporated in 1901. Ada is ...
.
References
External links
Oklahoma House of RepresentativesHR1014HR1015
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomsen, Todd
1967 births
21st-century American politicians
Candidates in the 2022 United States elections
Living people
Republican Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
Oklahoma Sooners football players
People from Ada, Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma alumni