# Liz Olson

Liz Olson is an American politician who formerly served in the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Olson represented District 8A in northeastern Minnesota, which includes parts of the city of Duluth in St. Louis County.

## Early life, education, and career

Olson attended the University of Minnesota Duluth, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and women's studies, and Luther Seminary, graduating with a Master of Arts in congregational and community care.
Olson is a community organizer who has worked for Churches United in Ministry, Generations Health Care Initiatives, and TakeAction Minnesota. She is a former president of the League of Women Voters, Duluth, is a member of the advisory committee of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits northeast chapter, and is a board member of Firefly Yoga International.

## Minnesota House of Representatives

Olson was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2016 and was reelected every two years through 2022. She first ran after two-term DFL incumbent Erik Simonson announced he would seek election to the Minnesota Senate. In 2020, her opponent contested the election results, but a court dismissed the case.
Olson served as speaker pro tempore of the House from 2019 to 2022. From 2019 to 2020 she served as the majority whip for the House DFL Caucus, and from 2021 to 2022 as deputy majority leader. Olson chaired the Ways and Means Committee during her final term.
Having already announced her decision not to seek reelection, Olson resigned her seat in mid-2024, taking a position with the McKnight Foundation.

## Electoral history

2016 Minnesota State House - District 7B :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Liz Olson | 13,824 | 70.87 |
| | Republican | Cody Barringer | 5,641 | 28.92 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 40 | 0.21 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 19,505 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold |
2018 Minnesota State House - District 7B :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Liz Olson (incumbent) | 12,739 | 71.84 |
| | Republican | Caroline Burley | 4,965 | 28.00 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 28 | 0.16 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,732 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold |
2020 Minnesota State House - District 7B :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Liz Olson (incumbent) | 14,769 | 68.15 |
| | Republican | Art Johnston | 6,879 | 31.74 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 23 | 0.11 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 21,671 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold |
2022 Minnesota State House - District 8A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Liz Olson (incumbent) | 11,587 | 70.48 |
| | Republican | Art Johnston | 4,830 | 29.38 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 22 | 0.13 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,439 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold |

## Personal life

Olson and her husband, Tom, have one child. They reside in the Denfeld neighborhood in Duluth, Minnesota.