Ivar B. Prestbakmo

Ivar Bühring Prestbakmo (born 7 November 1968) is a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party. He currently serves as a deputy member of the Storting for Troms since 2021, having previously done so from 1993 to 2001. Prestbakmo was mayor of Salangen from 1999 to 2014, when he became county commissioner for transport and the environment until 2019.

Local politics
On the local level, Prestbakmo served as mayor of Salangen municipality from 1999 to 2014. Upon being elected, Oddveig Kristiansen was deputy mayor until resigning in 2001 and was replaced by Lars Johan Hellefossmo. Following the 2003 local elections, the Conservatives' Karin Haugli Zachariassen became deputy mayor. Zachariassen was succeeded by Gry Hege Rognsaa from the Centre Party following the 2007 local elections. The Conservatives returned to the deputy mayor post with Ronny Karlsen following the 2011 local elections.

Upon his departure, his wife Sigrun W. Prestbakmo succeeded him as mayor, something which was unprecedented at the time. His wife continued as mayor until 2023 when she was appointed state secretary at the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.

He chaired the county party chapter between 2006 and 2012.

In 2014, he was appointed Troms County Commissioner for Transport and the Environment in the county cabinet of Line Fusdahl. He was retained by Cecilie Myrseth and her cabinet following the 2015 local elections. Following her resignation in 2017, Prestbakmo was again retained by Myrseth's successor Willy Ørnebakk.

Following the 2019 local elections, Prestbakmo was elected county mayor for the newly established Troms and Finnmark county, with the Labour Party's Tarjei Jensen Beck as deputy mayor. Prestbakmo went on leave as county mayor after he took on the duties for Sandra Borch, who served in government. Deputy county mayor Jensen Bech took on his duties from 14 December 2021, with the Centre Party's Rikke Håkstad as acting deputy mayor.

Parliament
He served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Troms from 1993 to 2001 and again since 2021. He deputised for Sandra Borch, who served in the Støre Cabinet between 2021 and 2024.

State Secretary
On 23 January 2024, Prestbakmo was appointed state secretary to the Minister of Research and Higher Education Oddmund Løkensgard Hoel.

Personal life
Prestbakmo is married to Sigrun Wiggen Prestbakmo.