Erik Mortensen is an American politician and former member of the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the U.S. state of Minnesota's Minnesota Legislature, legislature. It operates in conjunction with the Minnesota Senate, the state's upper chamber, to write and pass legislation, whic ...

from House District 55A. Elected in November 2020, he assumed office on January 5, 2021. Brad Tabke defeated incumbent Erik Mortensen and Ryan Martin in the general election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 54A on November 8, 2022.

Early life and education

Mortensen was born and raised in

Shakopee, Minnesota Shakopee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota, United States. It is southwest of Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of Minneap ...

. He briefly attended Mesa State University and Strayer University, no degrees were awarded.

Career

From 2002 to 2014, Mortensen worked in business development for C. H. Robinson. In 2009, he also started working as a park commissioner for the city of

Belle Plaine, Minnesota Belle Plaine ( ) is a city in Scott County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 7,395 at the 2020 census. History Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court Judge Andrew G. Chatfield selected the townsite of Belle Plaine in 1853 while trav ...

. From 2014 to 2018, he was the president of a local AdvantaClean franchise, specializing in mold remediation and indoor air quality issues. From 2018 to 2021, he worked as a contract business consultant for Keystone Group International in St. Louis Park. Since July 2019, he has worked as the vice president of Utility Energy Systems, an equipment supplier.

Minnesota Legislature

Mortensen was elected to the

in November 2020 and assumed office on January 5, 2021, unseating Democrat Brad Tabke. After winning his election in November, Mortensen hosted a "freedom party" in violation of Minnesota's

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

guidelines. After assuming office in 2021, Mortensen was a member of the newly formed New House Republican Caucus, though he was removed from the group in May 2021 amid disagreements with leadership. After Mortensen left the New House Republican Caucus, Minority Leader Kurt Daudt issued a short memo, stating that Mortensen would not be a member of the House GOP Caucus. In June 2021, fellow Republican David Osmek, a member of the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Minnesota Legislature, Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any State legislature (Unite ...

, called Mortensen "the

village idiot The village idiot is, in strict terms, a person locally known for ignorance or stupidity but is also a common term for a stereotypically silly or nonsensical person or stock character. Description The term "village idiot" is also used as a ster ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mortensen, Erik Living people People from Shakopee, Minnesota Colorado Mesa University alumni Strayer University alumni Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature