Mary Olson
Encyclopedia
Mary A. Olson is a Minnesota
politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate
who represented District 4, which includes portions of Beltrami
, Cass
, Crow Wing
, Hubbard
and Itasca
counties in the northern part of the state. A Democrat
, she was first elected in 2006. On November 2, 2010, she lost her re-election bid to Republican
John Carlson
.
Olson was a member of the Senate's Commerce & Consumer Protection Committee and Judiciary Committee. She also served on the Finance subcommittees for the Economic Development and Housing Budget Division and the Health and Human Services Budget Division, and on the Judiciary
Judiciary Subcommittee for Data Practices, which she chaired.
Olson received a B.A.
from the University of North Dakota
and earned a J.D.
from their law school
. Prior to her election to the Senate, she served as the Assistant County Attorney for Crow Wing County, and also as an attorney for the United States Air Force
at March Air Force Base. Her great-great-grandfather, Peter A. Gandrud, also served in the Minnesota Legislature
. She and her husband, John, have four children.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
who represented District 4, which includes portions of Beltrami
Beltrami County, Minnesota
Beltrami County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 44,442. Its county seat is Bemidji. Portions of the Leech Lake and Red Lake Indian reservations are in the county. The northernmost portion of the Mississippi River flows...
, Cass
Cass County, Minnesota
Cass County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 28,567. Its county seat is Walker. A portion of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation is in the county.-Geography:...
, Crow Wing
Crow Wing County, Minnesota
Crow Wing County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 62,500. Its county seat is Brainerd.-Geography:...
, Hubbard
Hubbard County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,376 people, 7,435 households, and 5,345 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 12,229 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
and Itasca
Itasca County, Minnesota
Itasca County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is named after Lake Itasca, which is in turn a shortened version the Latin words veritas caput, meaning 'truth' and 'head', a reference to the source of the Mississippi River. As of 2010, the population was 45,058. Its county seat...
counties in the northern part of the state. A Democrat
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
, she was first elected in 2006. On November 2, 2010, she lost her re-election bid to Republican
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
John Carlson
John Carlson (Minnesota politician)
John J. Carlson is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate who represents District 4, which includes portions of Beltrami, Cass, Crow Wing, Hubbard and Itasca counties in the northern part of the state. A Republican, he is the owner of John Carlson Agency, an insurance service...
.
Olson was a member of the Senate's Commerce & Consumer Protection Committee and Judiciary Committee. She also served on the Finance subcommittees for the Economic Development and Housing Budget Division and the Health and Human Services Budget Division, and on the Judiciary
Judiciary Subcommittee for Data Practices, which she chaired.
Olson received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
and earned a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from their law school
University of North Dakota School of Law
The University of North Dakota School of Law is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota at the University of North Dakota and is the only law school in the state of North Dakota. Established in 1899, the law school is home to approximately 235 students and has more than 3,000 alumni...
. Prior to her election to the Senate, she served as the Assistant County Attorney for Crow Wing County, and also as an attorney for the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
at March Air Force Base. Her great-great-grandfather, Peter A. Gandrud, also served in the Minnesota Legislature
Minnesota Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is the legislative branch of government in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is a bicameral legislature located at the Minnesota Capitol in Saint Paul and it consists of two houses: the lower Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate...
. She and her husband, John, have four children.