Rick Olson

Rick Olson earned a high school diploma from the John A. Doelle School. Olson graduated from Michigan State University in 1970 and from Stanford Law School in 1978. He previously worked for the Washington State Legislature from 1981 to 1983. He went on to serve as an attorney in the Washington Governor's office.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

What qualifies me is I went to Stanford Law School to become a better agricultural business manager. I was a farm boy and wanted to become an agricultural cooperative President. I ultimately succeeded in the ‘90s in Renville. However, in 1998, my wife, Linda, had an opportunity to become a school superintendent in Michigan. That was too good an opportunity for her to pass up, so I followed her this time. There I became a school business manager, for over 10 years.

So, out of all that, I know education and Minnesota education funding. I know money and how to balance budgets as well as how to analyze complex situations and make good decisions.

My passion is education. My father died when I was two months old, leaving my mom with us six kids to raise on welfare in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Obviously, that was not easy for her, but her mantra was “work hard and get an education”.

And that is exactly what Linda and I have done for 55 years. Frankly, we have prospered. We have lived the American Dream.

The reason I am running is I do not believe it will be as easy for our younger generation - our kids and grandkids - to have the same opportunities that we have had. I don’t like the world we are leaving for our kids and grandkids.

Linda and I returned to Minnesota 11 years ago so she could be a full-time daycare grandmother. That’s turning out great, but with my energy and background, I can’t just sit back and hope things turn out OK.

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?

Rick has spent his career managing budgets in agriculture and public education, and he's committed to fighting fraud, waste, and the rising costs that are hurting Minnesota families.Rick is focused on protecting your pocketbook. He has served as the president of an agricultural cooperative, the chief financial officer of another agricultural company, and also as a K–12 school business manager for more than 10 years. This experience has given him a practical understanding of cost control and accountability in public spending, as demonstrated by a record of clean audits.Rick makes decisions based on facts and in-depth analysis. He thinks independently. Although he was a Republican State Representative in Michigan in 2011 and 12, he broke with the party on issues including road and school funding. He believes that facts matter when solving problems, even when they challenge partisan assumptions. Now as a DFL candidate, he says he is willing to break with party lines when needed and work in a bipartisan fashion where possible.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Universal, single-payer health care for all; adequate funding for education; support for business and economic growth (especially needed to support and provide the workforce for the large and growing senior population; increasing power production at utility scale projects (and with batteries to provide not only the lowest cost energy but also be reliable)

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

In the Republican Party I look up to John McCain, Mitt Romney, former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and Liz Chaney. In the Democratic Party I respect Barack Obama and Governor Gretchen Whitmer with whom I served in the Michigan Legislature. All are more oriented to solving problems than pure partisanship, although they can be tough when appropriate.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, openness to new FACTUAL information, willingness to listen respectfully to constituents and others even if you don't agree,

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

focus on solving the problems without partisanship

What legacy would you like to leave?

To leave my campsite cleaner than I found it, in making the future a better place for our younger generation, our kids and grandkids.

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

Summer job while in high school doing a combination of manual labor/construction working for my vocational agriculture teacher. Just the summer.

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

My wife would say, "Being patient." :) Physically, my severe near sightedness prevented me from being drafted in 1970 and has been an issue my entire life. Now, after too many eye surgeries to count, vision is not a problem, thank goodness.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

mostly DFL connected organizations, as many are wary of someone who switches parties. I will earn the support by performance once elected.

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

The assassination of President Kennedy

Rick Olson did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.