Chris Flanagan | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Member of theMassachusetts House of Representatives from the1st Barnstable district | |
| Assumed office 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Tim Whelan |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Democratic |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Dennis Port, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Christopher Richard Flanagan is an American politician who serves as a member of theMassachusetts House of Representatives for the 1st Barnstable district, representing Brewster, Dennis, and Yarmouth. Flanagan has represented the district since 2023.
In April 2025, he was indicted on federal charges of wire fraud and falsification of records; prosecutors allege that he misappropriated money from the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Cape Cod when he worked for the association.[1] Flanagan has pleaded not guilty.[2]
Flanagan was born inEaston, Massachusetts.[3] He graduated fromEmmanuel College in 2010 and received a master of degree from theNaval War College.[4]
He served two terms on theselect board of theTown of Dennis;[5] he was elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2020, and served as chair of the board.[3]
In 2022, Flanagan was elected as a Democrat to theMassachusetts House of Representatives from the1st Barnstable district,[5] which consists of theCape Cod towns of Dennis,Yarmouth, andBrewster.[1] He flipped a seat previously held by RepublicanTim Whelan, who decided not to seek reelection to the House and instead made an unsuccessful bid forBarnstable County sheriff.[6] After taking office in2023, Flanagan became a member of the House Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.[7]
In 2024, Flanagan admitted to have created a fictitious person ("Jeanne Louise") whose name was used on acampaign fliers sent to voters in 2022 on behalf of a group named "Conservatives for Dennis"; following an Office of Campaign and Political Finance investigation, Flanagan accepted responsibility for thecampaign finance law violation; he paid a personal penalty of $9,000 and his campaign paid a $6,000 penalty.[8]
From 2019 to 2024, Flanagan was an executive officer for the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Cape Cod, atrade association.[9] In September 2024, the association complained to authorities about Flanagan, whom they accused of misappropriation and fraud.[2] Local authorities opened an investigation,[2] which was later taken over by federal investigators.[2][10] The existence of the investigation was publicly reported in January 2025.[10]
In April 2025, Flanagan was indicted on five counts ofwire fraud and one count of falsification of records; federal prosecutors allege that Flanagan stole $36,000 from the HBA from 2021 to 2023 via direct debit transactions, using the money to pay personal expenses, including his mortgage, credit card bills, andpsychic services, as well as to fund his campaign account.[1] Flanagan pleaded not guilty.[2] After the indictment was unsealed, many Massachusetts political figures called upon Flanagan to resign,[2] including GovernorMaura Healey[1] and Cape Cod state senatorJulian Cyr.[2]
Flanagan is married and has three children.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Christopher Richard Flanagan | 12,454 | 53.4 | |
| Republican | Tracy A. Post | 10,389 | 44.6 | |
| Unenrolled | Abraham Kasparian, Jr. | 447 | 1.9 | |
| Total votes | 23,307 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Christopher Richard Flanagan | 15,607 | 56.5 | |
| Republican | Gerald Joseph O'Connell | 11,996 | 43.4 | |
| Not applicable | All Others | 35 | 0.1 | |
| Not applicable | Blanks | 1,672 | ||
| Total votes | 29,310 | |||