Julius Terpstra

Terpstra was born in Emmeloord, a town in Flevoland, on February 21, 1989.[1] He attended Greijdanus College before studying in England for one year.[2] Subsequently, he studied history at Leiden University between 2009 and 2015, earning a Master of Arts degree.[3] While studying, he was a member of the fraternity Navigators and played soccer at LSVV '70.[4][5]

In 2009, he joined the Leiden affiliate of Christian Democratic Youth Appeal (CDJA) as treasurer.[6] One year later, he became the leader of CDJA Leiden, a position in which he served for two years.[7] Terpstra was elected chair of the national organization CDJA in May 2013 by its members.[8] His second term began two years later.[9] During his tenure, he advocated for a constitutional requirement for a balanced budget, increasing spending on defense, banning the sale of tobacco in supermarkets, and reinstituting conscription.[10][11][12][13] Furthermore, he opposed an elected instead of an appointed mayor.[14] Terpstra stepped down as chair on January 1, 2017 to focus on his job and his campaign to become a member of the House of Representatives.[15]

He participated in the 2014 municipal elections, being sixth on CDA's party list in Leiden.[16] Terpstra was not elected, as his party received four seats. In May, he was appointed duoraadslid in the Leiden municipal council. In August 2016, Terpstra took a job at Nautus, an Amersfoort consultancy firm for municipalities.[17] When CDA won three seats in Leiden during the 2018 municipal elections, he was fourth on the party list.[18] He remained a duoraadslid. Shortly after becoming a member of parliament in 2020, he left Nautus and the Leiden municipal council.[17] In the municipal council, he had been on the education and society committee and had focussed on sport policy.[19]

Terpstra ran for House member during the 2017 general election. During the campaign, he said that abolishing the student loan system was his priority.[20] He was placed 23rd on the CDA's party list and received 1,477 preferential votes.[21] His party won nineteen seats, resulting in Terpstra not being elected. After Erik Ronnes had vacated his seat to join North Brabant's provincial-executive, Terpstra was sworn in as MP on May 20, 2020.[6] Terpstra became the CDA's spokesperson in the area of housing, spatial planning, and the Environment and Planning Act.[22] In the House, he is a member of the Committee for the Interior as well as a temporary member of the Committees for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, for Infrastructure and Water Management, and for Finances.[23]

He has advocated addressing the Dutch housing shortage and reducing difficulties that young people have when trying to buy their first house. In July 2020, Terpstra introduced a motion, that was approved unanimously by the House, calling for the consideration of previous rent payments when applying for a mortgage.[24] He has also unsuccessfully called for the interior minister to force Utrecht to build 25,000–30,000 homes in the polders Rijnenburg and Reijerscop.[25] A motion by Terpstra and Daniel Koerhuis was narrowly passed by the House.[26]

Terpstra was the 20th candidate of the CDA during the 2021 general election.[27]

Terpstra lives in the South Holland city Leiden with his wife Kirsten Kok.[23] They met while studying and married in July 2018.[4] Nederlands Dagblad reported in 2013 that Terpstra was a member of the Reformed Church (Liberated).[3]