David Olson

David Olson is the Republican candidate for the Washington House of Representatives, District 26-Position 1, in the November 3, 2026 general election, running against incumbent Democrat Adison Richards.[1][2] A retired U.S. Navy officer and former public finance banker, Olson has served on the Peninsula School District board since 2013, and he placed first in the August 4, 2026 primary.[1][3]

Olson was born in Austin, Texas, and graduated from Conroe High School.[1] According to Ballotpedia, he served in the U.S. Navy from 1977 to 2005, then moved into the defense contracting industry, and earned a bachelor's degree from Southern New Hampshire University in 2005.[1] In a 2026 Ballotpedia survey, he described 28 years in the Navy as an electronics technician, Navy diver and commissioned officer, followed by work in public finance.[3] He said he has also served as an elected Pierce County Charter Review Commissioner and in leadership roles with the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation, City Club of Tacoma, the Hilltop Business Association and the World Trade Center Tacoma.[3]

Olson won the Peninsula School District Board of Directors District 5 seat in the November 2013 election, defeating incumbent Rick Jones, and he has held the seat since.[1] In 2024 he ran as a nonpartisan candidate for Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction; he advanced from the primary and lost the general election to incumbent Chris Reykdal, 46.6% to 52.8%.[1] In the August 4, 2026 primary for House District 26-Position 1, Olson received 43.4% of the vote and Richards received 35.2%.[1]

In his 2026 Ballotpedia survey, Olson said he is running because of affordability concerns and rising taxes, fees and state spending.[3] He said he supports revising the Growth Management Act and expanding urban growth area boundaries to increase housing supply, and that he would call for a moratorium on new tax increases until independent performance audits are completed on major budget areas.[3] He also said he supports revisiting the Climate Commitment Act and opposes cuts to Running Start, Transitional Kindergarten and special education.[3]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.