Chris Mathias
Member of the Idaho House of Representatives
from District 19, Seat B
Assumed office
December 1, 2020
Preceded byMelissa Wintrow
Personal details
Born (1978-05-14) May 14, 1978
Farmington, Connecticut, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Children2
EducationBoise State University (BS)
Vermont Law School (JD)
Northeastern University (PhD)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Coast Guard
Years of service1996–2000
Rank Petty Officer 3rd Class
Awards

Christopher P. Mathias (born May 14, 1978) is an American politician and attorney serving as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from the 19th district, which includes a portion of Boise, Idaho.[1] He is the first African American man to serve in the Idaho Legislature and its only current Black member.[2]

Early life and education

Mathias enlisted in the United States Coast Guard after graduating from high school. During his service, Mathias engaged in search and rescue and law enforcement operations, and later conducted shipboard communications on the USCGC Polar Star, the nation's heaviest non-nuclear icebreaker.[3]

He used the G.I. Bill to earn a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice administration from Boise State University, where he was student body president and the university's first McNair Scholar.[4] Mathias later earned a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School and a doctorate in law and public policy from Northeastern University. His dissertation focused on how Idaho has implemented the National Incident Management System.[3][5]

Career

Mathias worked as law clerk for U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy and later as a lecturer at Northeastern University. After completing his Ph.D., he worked as the chief academic officer for the Idaho State Board of Education and then for the University of California, Santa Cruz.[4]

Mathias is the recipient of the Idaho Governor's Commendation for Distinguished Public Service and the Idaho Business Review's Accomplished 40 Under 40 award.[6]

Personal life

Mathias lives in the North End neighborhood of Boise, Idaho, with his wife Katie and their two children.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Idaho Election Results". The New York Times. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  2. ↑ Norimine, Hayat (August 8, 2021). "'Deliberative' Boise Rep. Chris Mathias navigates being Idaho's only Black legislator". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  3. 1 2 "About Chris Mathias". Chris Mathias for Idaho's People. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  4. 1 2 3 "Mathias to run for Wintrow's House seat". Idaho Press. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  5. ↑ "Implementing homeland security policy in the U.S. States: a comparative state study". S2CID 154994582. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  6. ↑ "Rep. Chris Mathias – Idaho State Legislature". Retrieved 2021-01-19.
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