Jon Godfread, a North Dakota insurance commissioner, has officially been named the tallest politician in the world, according to Guinness World Records.
“This was a fun opportunity to bring some good news back to North Dakota, and of course, it’s an honor to be recognized as a world record holder,” Godfread told the Bismarck Tribune on Tuesday.
“He decided to break this record to bring awareness to the position of Insurance Commissioner, and to show that being different is fun,” Guinness World Records stated on their website. Godfread, who is 6 feet, 10 inches, was verified by the group last month in Bismarck, North Dakota.
He beat out former record holder New York City councilman Robert Cornegy, who is also 6 feet, 10 inches tall but is a full centimeter shorter than Godfread. The insurance commissioner needed to be measured three different times with witnesses and video evidence to steal the title.
“If somebody learns there’s an insurance commissioner’s office that they can turn to for help, then it’s certainly worth it, but it’s also a lot of fun in the meantime,” he said.
