Biography
Rick Olson is the Democratic candidate for the Minnesota State Senate, District 54, in the November 3, 2026 general election; the seat has no incumbent, and Ben Bakeberg (R) is also running.[1][2] He served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013 and has a background in agricultural cooperative and school business management.[2][3]
Rick Olson earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in 1970 and a law degree from Stanford Law School in 1978.[2] In a Ballotpedia survey, he said he grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, became president of an agricultural cooperative in Renville, Minnesota, in the 1990s, and moved to Michigan in 1998 when his wife became a school superintendent, where he worked as a school business manager for more than 10 years.[3] He said he and his wife returned to Minnesota 11 years ago.[3]
Ballotpedia lists Olson as a Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives, representing District 55, from 2011 to 2013.[2] In the survey, he said he broke with his party on issues including road and school funding and is now a DFL candidate who is willing to work in a bipartisan way.[3] He listed single-payer health care, adequate education funding, business and economic growth, and power production among his policy interests.[3]
- 1.Minnesota State Senate elections, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Rick Olson · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Rick Olson - Candidate Connection survey responses · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Minnesota Senate District 54
Rick Olson is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Minnesota Senate District 54 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
