Loðmundur Sigurmundarson

*This name uses Velkanian naming customs; the last name is a patronymic, not a family name. This person should be properly referred to by the given name* Loðmundur.

**Loðmundur Sigurmundarson** (born 28 June 1980) is a Velkanian politician who served as Minister of Transportation and Local Governance in the first Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet from 2014 until 2018. He is a member of the Liberal-Conservative Party, and has served as a member of the Orthing since 2010.

Born in Húsavík to former Liberal-Conservative politician Sigurmundur Jóhansson, Loðmundur graduated from Narísandur Junior College in 2000. After graduating, he enrolled in the Faculty of Management at the Rafnar Vígþórsson School of Business of the University of Narísandur, graduating with a degree in business administration in 2003. After graduating, he returned to the school, receiving his master's degree in 2005. Loðmundur subsequently began working as a financial policy researcher at the Ministry of Finance. He stood for election to the Orthing in the 2006 election, but was not elected to parliament. He later stood again in the 2010 election, and was elected. Following the 2014 election, the Liberal-Conservatives entered a majority coalition and Loðmundur was nominated to serve as Minister of Transportation and Local Governance by Sif María Vilhjálmardattir in her first cabinet. After the subsequent 2018 election, Loðmundur returned to the backbench and was not retained for her second cabinet.

## Early life, education, and career

Loðmundur was born on 28 June 1980 in Húsavík to parents Sigurmundur Jóhansson (born 1944) and Anna Hvönn Kveldúlfardattir (born 1948). His father was an economist and served in the Orthing for the Liberal-Conservative Party from 1988 until 2002, while his mother was a gynecologist who comes from the Velkanian nobility. Loðmundur is the second of three children and only son; his two sisters are Geirhildur, born  (1978-07-12) 12 July 1978 (age 45), and Reynhildur, born  (1982-02-15) 15 February 1982 (age 41).

Loðmundur began his education in 1986, enrolling in the International School of Narísandur, an international Ditrovian language school for students aged six through eighteen. He transferred from the school in 1996, enrolling in Narísandur Junior College, where he studied a business and law program. He graduated in 2000, afterwards enrolling in the Faculty of Management at the Rafnar Vígþórsson School of Business of the University of Narísandur, graduating with a degree in business administration in 2003. He subsequently returned to the school, receiving a master's degree in 2005. Following his graduation, he worked as a financial policy researcher at the Ministry of Finance.

## Political career

### Early politics

Loðmundur first flirted with beginning a political career in 2006, after he was included on the Liberal-Conservative ticket in the 2006 election, as number 38 on the party list. After the party did not win enough seats, he was not elected to parliament. He was included on the party list once again in the 2010 election, and was this time elected to the Orthing.

As a member of parliament, Loðmundur attempted to differentiate himself from the politics of his father, who was situated on the right-wing of the party, and instead aligned himself with the centrist bloc of Liberal-Conservatives led by Heinrekur Jón Jónsson. Following the announcement that Heinrekur would be resigning as party leader and retiring from politics, Loðmundur was considered a potential longshot contender to succeed him, but he ultimately declined to run for the leadership position and endorsed Sif María Vilhjálmardattir.

### Minister of Transportation and Local Governance

Following the 2014 election, the Liberal-Conservatives entered into a majority coalition in parliament, and Loðmundur was nominated to serve as Minister of Transportation and Local Governance by Sif in her first cabinet. He took office on 30 March 2014, following his appointment by Ragnhildur II. In his ministerial post, Loðmundur was responsible for public transportation, road systems, vehicle licensure, citizenship, postal services, infrastructure and public works, public housing, local government administration, and overseeing elections of the Velkanian Isles.

After the 2018 election, the Liberal-Conservatives remained in the governing coalition but negotiated a new coalition agreement with the People's Party and Reform Party. With this, Loðmundur was not retained in the government and thus was not nominated to Sif's second cabinet, returning to the backbench.

## Personal life

Loðmundur began a relationship with Velkanian lawyer in María Ingibjört Lyngarsdattir, the cousin of one of his best friends, in 2010. They became engaged in 2013, and later married the following year. They have two daughters together: Dalla María, born  (2016-05-03) 3 May 2016 (age 7), and Vagna Hvönn, born  (2018-10-13) 13 October 2018 (age 5). The family resides in Haflíð neighborhood of Narísandur. As the son of a member of the Velkanian nobility, Loðmundur holds noble status, as do his wife and children.