John Thompson (Minnesota politician) facts for kids

John Thompson is an American politician. He served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for the 67A district. He held this office from January 5, 2021, to January 9, 2023. Thompson was elected in November 2020. Before becoming a politician, he was an activist. He supported the Black Lives Matter movement. He also led a local group that worked for fairness and equality.

Early Life and Education

Thompson was born in Chicago, Illinois. He later attended Central State University. This university is located in Wilberforce, Ohio.

Career and Public Service

Thompson started his career as a machinist. This job involves working with machines. Later, he worked for the Saint Paul Public Schools. He worked there for 11 years.

Activism for Change

John Thompson was a friend of Philando Castile. Mr. Castile was a Black man who died during a traffic stop in 2016. After this event, Thompson became very active in the Black Lives Matter movement. He took part in many protests. These protests focused on issues of racial injustice. Thompson also led an organization called Fight For Justice LLC. This group worked to support important causes in Minnesota.

In August 2020, Thompson led a protest in Hugo, Minnesota. This protest was outside the home of a police union leader. During the event, Thompson spoke about his strong feelings. His actions at the protest caused many people to criticize him. A few days later, Thompson released a statement. In this statement, he apologized for some of his words.

Serving in the Minnesota House

Thompson was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in November 2020. He started his term on January 5, 2021. He represented District 67A. This area includes parts of northwest Saint Paul and Maplewood. It is near the Lake Phalen area.

During his time in the legislature, Thompson spoke out for police reform. He wanted to make changes to policing laws. He suggested a large bill to help end unfair systems in Minnesota. This bill aimed to increase state spending. It would support education, health care, and social programs. At the end of the legislative session in June 2020, he shared his views. He felt a compromise proposal did not go far enough.

In September 2021, the DFL (Democratic–Farmer–Labor) caucus made a decision. They removed Thompson from their group. This meant he could not use party resources. He also could not attend party meetings. The DFL party stated that their decision was due to "credible reports of abuse and misconduct." They also mentioned his "failure to take responsibility."

In 2022, Liz Lee challenged Thompson. She is a Hmong-American resident of Saint Paul. She ran against him for the DFL nomination in District 67A. Lee won the party's support at their convention in March. She then defeated Thompson in the August primary election. Lee received 89 percent of the votes. Thompson received 11 percent.

Personal Life

John Thompson is married and has three children. He became friends with Philando Castile in 2005. They worked together at local schools.

In July 2021, a police sergeant stopped Thompson's car. This happened because his car did not have a front license plate. He was also cited for driving with a suspended license. Thompson later said he felt he was stopped because of his race. He stated he "got a ticket for driving while black." The Saint Paul Police Department later announced that Thompson apologized to the sergeant.

See Also

• 2020–2021 Minneapolis–Saint Paul racial unrest