Sigurd Kvammen Rafaelsen Explained

Sigurd Kvammen Rafaelsen
Term Start:1 October 2021
1Blankname:Deputising for
Constituency:Finnmark
Office2:Mayor of Lebesby Municipality
Term Start2:24 October 2019
Deputy2:Kristin Johnsen
Predecessor2:Stine Akselsen
Birth Date:11 December 1985
Birth Place:Sør-Varanger, Finnmark, Norway
Alma Mater:University of Tromsø
Occupation:Teacher
Shop owner
Politician
Partner:Sigrid Ina Simonsen
Children:2

Sigurd Kvammen Rafaelsen (born 11 December 1985) is a Norwegian teacher and politician for the Labour Party. A deputy to the Storting from Finnmark since 2021, he has met as deputy for Marianne Sivertsen Næss since 2024. He has also served as mayor of Lebesby Municipality since 2019.

Personal life

Rafaelsen was born in Sør-Varanger Municipality on 11 December 1985. He is of Sámi origin and is one of three sons of former Sør-Varanger mayor Rune Rafaelsen and Inger Blix Kvammen.[1]

He is currently in a relationship with Sigrid Ina Simonsen, the regional director of NHO Arctic. They both respectively have two children from previous relationships. Currently they're scheduled to marry in the summer of 2024.[2]

Political career

Local politics

An inhabitant of Kjøllefjord, Rafaelsen has been a member of the municipal council of Lebesby Municipality since 2015, and served as mayor from 2019, with Kristin Johnsen as deputy mayor.[3] The duo were re-elected at the 2023 local elections despite Labour's significant losses in Northern Norway.[4]

He was elected leader of the Finnmark Labour Party in April 2024, succeeding former mayor of Nordkapp Municipality, Kristina Hansen, who had announced in January that she wouldn't seek re-election.[5] [6]

Parliament

Rafaelsen was elected deputy representative to the Storting from the constituency of Finnmark at the 2021 election. He has been deputising for Marianne Sivertsen Næss from April 2024 while she is serving in government.

Civic career

Rafaelsen is a teacher by profession. He worked as a teacher at the school in Kjøllefjord between 2010 and 2015 before becoming the manager at Coop Kjøllefjord SA. He also holds a bachelor's degree in state science and has a year course in German from the University of Tromsø.[7]

He has also chaired the interest organisations Naturressurskommunene and Landssammenslutningen av vindkraftskommuner since June and August 2023 respectively.[8] [9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ordfører tok på seg kofte for første gang . . 31 October 2019 . 20 April 2024 . nb.
  2. Web site: Kjerkols fall banet vei for Støres «wonderboy» . . 28 April 2024 . 29 April 2024 . nb .
  3. Web site: Møteprotokoll - møte i kommunestyret den 24.10.2019 . Lebesby kommune . 24 October 2019 . 20 April 2024 . nb.
  4. Web site: Sigurd Rafaelsen ble gjenvalgt som ordfører . Radio Nordkapp . 25 October 2023 . 20 April 2024 . nb.
  5. Web site: Kristina Hansen går av som leder av Finnmark Arbeiderparti: – Viktig å slippe unge krefter til . . 9 January 2024 . 20 April 2024 . nb.
  6. Web site: Vindkraftordføreren får i oppgave å samle Finnmark Ap . . 7 April 2024 . 20 April 2024 . nb.
  7. Web site: Sigurd Kvammen Rafaelsen til Agenda Nord-Norge 2023 - Kunnskapsbanken . Kunnskapsbanken for Nord-Norge . 11 November 2023 . 20 April 2024 . nb.
  8. Web site: Vindkraftskommunene har fått ny hærfører . Europower . 14 June 2023 . 20 April 2024 . nb.
  9. Web site: Lebesby-ordfører valgt til ny leder for Naturressurskommuene . Altinget . 16 August 2023 . 20 April 2024 . nb.