Reed Olson

Reed Olson was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1998. His career experience includes working as an executive director of the Nameless Coalition for the Homeless. Olson has also owned and operated a restaurant.[1]

Olson has served with the following organizations:[2]

BiCAP, vice chair

Kitchigami Regional Library Board, board member

PrimeWest Health, alternate board member

Bemidji Area Airport Authority, board member

Reed Olson has not yet completed [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

If you are Reed Olson, click here to fill out [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out the candidate survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete [the profile publisher]'s Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's [the profile publisher] profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 32,000 candidates have taken [the profile publisher]'s candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

Help improve [the profile publisher] - send us candidate contact info.

Reed Olson did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

State House

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a cook, small business owner & community nonprofit director. I have been a worker my whole life & I look forward to supporting our workers as your representative.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I will support policies and legislation that will create more housing in rural Minnesota.The working families in our district need access to childcare. We need to support people trying to create daycare businesses.As the director of a local homeless shelter, I see the need for more investment in mental health services.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Housing/Homelessness

Healthcare

Public Safety

Infrastructure

Education

Note: Olson submitted the above survey responses to [the profile publisher] on September 29, 2022.

Show past responsesHide past responses

April 25 submission

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a cook, a small business owner and the director of a community nonprofit in Bemidji. I'm also in my 2nd term as a Beltrami County Commissioner, where I have a proven track record as a problem-solver, bridge-builder, and skilled-collaborator who gets things done. I have successfully championed measures related to housing and homelessness, funding the new Veterans Home in Bemidji, and supporting small businesses through pandemic relief. In St. Paul, I will work to build more housing in rural Minnesota, expand rural access to quality childcare and create high quality jobs for rural Minnesotans.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I will fight to better the lives of working families in rural Minnesota.I will work with lawmakers to support workers and small businesses.I will challenge the divisive politics which continue to distract from the needs of rural Minnesotans. Instead, I look forward to building partnerships and working together to improve our quality of life.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I will work to pass legislation that lowers the cost of prescription drugs, expands access to quality healthcare, creates more housing in rural Minnesota and gives working families access to high quality and affordable childcare.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Nothing by Ayn Rand. Her stuff is awful.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am thoughtful and I am compassionate and I am pragmatic. I have devoted years of my life to helping those less fortunate. My work in the world of housing and homelessness has taught me that good intentions are not enough. We need real change to existing policy to truly move people out of poverty and into the fold of the larger community. I know how difficult it is to make lasting change. I have worked with local law enforcement, local healthcare providers and county adult services to make changes to complex systems to deliver better results to our community.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The fundamental social contract between individuals and the state is that the state has a monopoly on the use of force and the people have security. Therefore, the core responsibility of any legislator is to provide for the welfare and security of the people. This means access to clean water, food and shelter. Workers' rights, environmental standards, effective housing policies are the charge of a Minnesota legislator.

What legacy would you like to leave?

It is my goal to be remembered as a consensus builder who got things done.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job that wasn't mowing lawns or a paper route was dishwasher at a local restaurant in my home town. I held it for a little more than a year before moving to a different restaurant. I would work for over 30 years in foodservice. Though I did not particularly enjoy the job, I learned many important lessons. One is that hard work alone is not enough to get ahead in life. Another is that employers will take advantage of their employees if they have an opportunity. Even as a fourteen year old making $3.24/hour, my employers did not hesitate to engage in wage theft. After that job, I never let an employer take advantage of me again.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Billy Pilgrim, an unassuming man, who lived an extraordinary life in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughter "House 5."

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I have always been a doer. I get frustrated with the pace of change. I don't want to do a needs assessment on housing. I want to build homes. I don't want to talk about studies concerning mental health and criminality. I want to build our the behavioral health infrastructure to get people the services they need before they end up in jail or prison. Policy making is a long deliberative process. At times it tries my patience, but when I look back at the almost six years I have spent on the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners and the decade working on issues related to housing and homelessness I can see that the needle has moved in the direction of positive change for my neighbors.

In the legislature, I will need to remember: "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice" (To quote MLK).

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe legislators benefit greatly from holding local office beforehand. As a county commissioner, I understand the effects that state policy has on counties. I wince every time I hear politicians talk about cutting corporate taxes. Cutting income tax to wealthy corporations will automatically result in rising property taxes at the county. Policy making at the state level can occur in a bubble--cut off from the real lives of their constituents. Having experience at the local level can help policy makers avoid unintended consequences.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Frank Moe has been an inspiration and role model to me for years. Frank unabashedly pushed legislation to support working people and protect our environment. I hope to emulate him when I arrive in St Paul.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Though not always enjoyable, compromise is often the only way to get anything done in the legislature. Politicians with differing views can build trust through compromise. This trust can be leveraged against future legislation. Minnesota has had divided government for most of the past two decades. Only through trust building and compromise, can we get anything done for the people of Minnesota.

Congress

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a DFLer running for US Congress to fight for Minnesota's working families. For the past 16 years (and counting!) I have owned a MN small business, a restaurant + coffee shop called The Wild Hare. In 2016, I helped found a 36-bed homeless shelter which I now oversee as Executive Director. I am also currently serving my second term as a County Commissioner, where I have established a proven track record as a problem solver, bridge-builder, and skilled-collaborator who gets things done. I know my district and I see the challenges my neighbors face daily. I understand what we need to do to improve the lives of all rural Minnesotans.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I will fight to better the lives of working families.I will work with lawmakers to support small farmers and small businesses.I will challenge the divisive politics which continue to distract from the needs of rural Minnesotans. Instead, I look forward to building partnerships and working together to improve our quality of life.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I will work to pass legislation that lowers the cost of prescription drugs, expands access to quality healthcare, creates more housing in rural Minnesota and gives working families access to high quality and affordable childcare.