Curtis Johnson accused of living outside of district he’s seeking to represent at the Capitol

By Hank Long, Alpha News – October 18, 2024

By all accounts Curtis Johnson is the ideal candidate to pick up the baton for retiring DFL state legislator Jamie Becker-Finn.

The 52-year-old father of two grown children is a software engineer and Roseville Area School Board member. He has accumulated all the politically progressive bona fides one needs to position themselves to find favor with the DFL hierarchy, especially given his role as president of ERA Minnesota, an organization committed to pushing the legislature to approve and place a politically-polarizing, modern version of the Equal Rights Amendment on the ballot by 2026.

Johnson has been a committed DFL activist and has formed a close bond with Becker-Finn in recent years while frequenting her coffee shop and volunteering either for her or with her on various DFL-backed campaigns in the east metro.

Johnson has hobnobbed with the likes of Gov. Tim Walz, State Auditor Julie Blaha, DFL Party Chair Ken Martin and Congresswoman Betty McCollum. And through his work with ERA Minnesota, he’s attracted an exuberant fanbase from among the DFL rank-and-file membership at the legislature.

When Johnson announced in January that he was seeking to replace Becker-Finn for the House District 40B seat, he was welcomed with open arms by a group of DFL legislators who call themselves the “Nerd Caucus.”

Becker-Finn won the district by 35 points in 2022.

But there’s one problem: Johnson allegedly has continued in recent days to live in his Little Canada house that he has raised his family in the last several years. And that five-bedroom house is not located within the boundaries for House District 40B. That’s according to property records, candidate filings and first-person observations from a handful of district constituents who have reached out to Alpha News and, as of this week, his opponent, Republican Paul Wikstrom.

‘Solid and irrefutable evidence’ Johnson lives outside of 40B

“My campaign has solid and irrefutable evidence that Curtis Johnson is residing at his primary homestead, in Little Canada, outside of the district,” Wikstrom, a Shoreview resident and engineering manager, announced in a video campaign statement he released on Tuesday morning.

Screenshot from a video released this week accusing Johnson of living outside the district.

Wikstrom, who in 2022 ran unsuccessfully for Mounds View School Board, alleges in the video statement that Johnson “is not a resident of Roseville or Shoreview, which comprise our district” and then called on the DFL Party to “rectify this error and to be honestly forthcoming with the voters of House District 40B.”

“One resident has asked [me] if [Curtis Johnson] lies about his residency, how will he perform as a legislator? The voters have a right to know the residency status of Curtis Johnson.”

Alpha News reached out to Curtis Johnson and his campaign multiple times this week seeking comment.

Johnson did not return three separate emails Alpha News sent asking him to explain if and why he has continued to live at his Little Canada home, which is located along Payne Avenue in the neighboring House District 44A, and is represented by DFL legislator Peter Fischer (who is running for reelection). One of those emails was sent through Johnson’s campaign website, which stated “we usually reply within a few minutes this time of day.” Alpha News has not yet received a reply from Johnson or any of his campaign staff more than 72 hours after those emails were sent.

So how was Johnson able to run for the 40B seat? He has leased an apartment in Roseville in recent months. Alpha News asked Johnson when he signed the lease for that apartment, and how often he dwells there. Johnson did not reply to those questions.

The video statement Wikstrom released this week contains a clip of Johnson walking down the driveway of his Little Canada home and entering his car. Another clip shows his car parked at Roseville City Hall. And another clip shows Johnson speaking at a League of Women Voters forum. Wikstrom says all three of those video clips were recorded the same evening, on Sept. 17.

Other residents of 44A and 40B, who wish to remain anonymous, have contacted Alpha News to say they have firsthand knowledge of Johnson’s living arrangements in recent weeks and have provided additional evidence suggesting Johnson is still living at his Little Canada home in 44A. Johnson has told local media on multiple occasions in recent weeks that he lives in Roseville.

The Minnesota Constitution requires that “senators and representatives shall be qualified voters of the state, and shall have resided in the state one year and six months immediately preceding the election in the district from which elected.” The state constitution also says that each chamber—the House and Senate—shall be the judge of eligibility of its own members. Minnesota statutes echo those requirements. The Minnesota secretary of state also requires that “all candidates must have maintained residence in their district for at least 30 days before the general election.”

Prominent DFL House members won’t say whether they care about residency questions

When Becker-Finn, DFL-Roseville, announced in December that she would not seek a fifth term in the legislature, just days later Johnson announced on social media that he would run to replace his friend in the House. And in February, Becker-Finn took several measures to communicate her emphatic endorsement of Johnson just before the DFL caucuses were to take place.

“We first met at a PTA book fair, and then Curtis was one of my first volunteers back in 2016,” Becker-Finn said in an endorsement statement. “I am proud to say that I taught him to door knock! The following year, Curtis ran for school board and has ably served our community ever since.”

Following another plug Becker-Finn made for Johnson on Facebook on Feb. 26, a person who professed to be one of Johnson’s constituents in the Roseville Area School District asked Johnson whether he lived in House District 40B.

“I met you when you ran for school board, very nice. At that time you lived in Little Canada. Little Canada is not in house district 40b, did you move into district 40b?” a constituent asked.

“Yes. I am moving to Roseville,” Johnson replied. That was 33 weeks ago.

On Tuesday, Alpha News reached out to Becker-Finn, an attorney and coffee shop owner, at her House email and her email at Mitchell Hamline, where she teaches “legislative process,” with a series of questions on Johnson’s residency and candidacy.

Becker-Finn has not yet replied to those requests for comment. But she is not alone in openly expressing enthusiasm for Johnson’s campaign.

On May 21, Johnson filed his affidavit of candidacy to run for the House District 40B seat. While there, he posed for photos with several DFL legislators who are seeking reelection, including Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park.

In Johnson’s filing, he listed an address for an apartment complex in Roseville. But as recently as 2021 when he ran for Roseville Area School Board, Johnson listed his Little Canada home on his campaign website and filing paperwork. A campaign disclaimer appeared on his school board campaign website declaring, “Prepared and paid for by Curtis Johnson Campaign, 3084 Payne Avenue, Little Canada.”

Alpha News reached out to Hortman this week asking the DFL’s top-ranking House member if she knew of Johnson’s residency situation the day they met at the Minnesota Capitol when he filed for office. Hortman didn’t reply to Alpha News’ questions or a request for comment.

Wikstrom, who knows his campaign is a longshot to win in House 40B, said he has spoken with constituents as he has canvassed the district, and more than a few have proactively informed him that Johnson lives more often at his Little Canada home in 44A than he does in the apartment he leased in Roseville.

“We’ve talked to people who have told us he is still living in his Little Canada address and not in Roseville,” Wikstrom said. “If he wants to be a legislator in Minnesota, he should comply with the law just like the rest of us. I feel an obligation as a candidate in this race to make sure voters know that.”