Nathan Nelson (politician)

Nathan Nelson
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 11B district
Assumed office
March 27, 2019
Preceded byJason Rarick
Personal details
Born (1979-01-17) January 17, 1979
PartyRepublican
SpouseSuzanna
Children5
OccupationFarmer
WebsiteGovernment website Campaign website

Nathan Nelson (born January 17, 1979) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Nelson represents District 11B in east-central Minnesota, which includes the cities of Mora, Rush City and Hinckley, and parts of Chisago, Kanabec and Pine Counties.[1][2]

Early life, education, and career

Nelson was born in Hinckley, Minnesota, and grew up on a dairy farm. He graduated from Hinckley-Finlayson High School in 1997, and is a third-generation dairy farmer.[1]

Nelson was a member of the Clover Township Board of Supervisors for nine years and is the president of the Pine County Farm Bureau.[1][3]

Minnesota House of Representatives

Nelson was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in a special election on March 19, 2019. He won a full term in November 2020 and was reelected in 2022. He first ran after three-term Republican incumbent Jason Rarick resigned to run for a seat in the Minnesota Senate.[1][4][5]

Nelson serves on the Agriculture Finance and Policy, Children and Families Finance and Policy, and the Workforce Development Finance and Policy Committees.[1]

Political positions

Nelson advocated a wolf hunt, saying they are a problem for farmers and ranchers in rural Minnesota.[6] In 2022, he spoke out on a bill to address the 2021 drought and to fund rural broadband, calling it "too little, too late for many".[7]

Electoral history

2019 Republican Primary for Minnesota State House - District 11B Special Election[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Nathan Nelson 2,371 88.40
Republican Ayrlahn Johnson 311 11.60
Total votes 2,682 100.0
2019 Minnesota State House - District 11B Special Election[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Nathan Nelson 3,572 68.43
Democratic (DFL) Tim Burkhardt 1,647 31.55
Write-in 1 0.02
Total votes 5,220 100.0
Republican hold
2020 Minnesota State House - District 11B[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Nathan Nelson (incumbent) 13,484 65.34
Democratic (DFL) Jack Frechette 7,145 34.62
Write-in 9 0.04
Total votes 20,638 100.0
Republican hold
2022 Minnesota State House - District 11B[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Nathan Nelson (incumbent) 12,136 68.36
Democratic (DFL) Eric Olson 5,603 31.56
Write-in 13 0.07
Total votes 17,752 100.0
Republican hold

Personal life

Nelson lives in Hinckley with his spouse, Suzanna. They have five children.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Nelson, Nathan". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  2. ^ "Rep. Nathan Nelson (11B) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  3. ^ Van Oot, Torey (March 15, 2019). "Republican wins east-central Minnesota House district seat". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  4. ^ The Associated Press (March 20, 2019). "Nelson wins House seat in special election". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  5. ^ Van Oot, Torey (March 19, 2019). "Republican wins east-central Minnesota House district seat". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  6. ^ Dunbar, Elizabeth (April 30, 2019). "Dead moose, puppies not enough: House bans recreational wolf hunt". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  7. ^ Orenstein, Walker (2022-05-22). "Minnesota Legislature approves bill to address 2021 drought, fund broadband infrastructure". MinnPost. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  8. ^ "2019 Results for State Representative District 11B Special Election Primary". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  9. ^ "2019 Results for State Representative District 11B Special Election". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  10. ^ "2020 Results for State Representative District 11B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  11. ^ "2022 Results for State Representative District 11B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 12, 2023.