John Fredrickson on his historic candidacy in Nebraska, his love of Dunkaroos, and playing elf dress up
John Fredrickson. He’s a mental health professional currently running to represent District 20 in the Nebraska Legislature. If he wins in November, he will be the second openly-LGBTQ person, and first openly gay man, ever elected to his state’s Senate.After growing up in Omaha, John moved to New York for college, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from NYU and a Master’s degree from Columbia University.
That’s also where he met his husband, Jeff. After adopting their son, Leon, in 2019, the guys decided to relocate back to John’s hometown in 2020.
And last October, he announced his candidacy for Nebraska State Senate.“My decision to run for office was born out of my work as a therapist, becoming a parent, and having a strong desire to have a positive impact on the future of Nebraska,” he says. “Divisive rhetoric over the past few years has inspired me to work in Nebraska to ensure we are a welcoming, inclusive state.”Queerty had a chance to catch up with John in our rapid-fire Q&A series, Dishin’ It.
In our conversation below, he shares the story of how he met his husband, his favorite thing to do on a Saturday night, why being LGBTQ enhances his candidacy for Nebraska Legislature, and his lifelong love of Dunkaroos.
