Eric Olson (Portage County Executive, Wisconsin, candidate 2026)
Eric Olson is running for election to the Portage County Executive in Wisconsin. Olson is on the ballot in the general election on April 7, 2026.
Olson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
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Click here to view Ballotpedia's local election coverage in Wisconsin by county in 2026.
Biography
Eric Olson provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on April 1, 2026:
- Graduate: University of Wisconsin Madison, 1999
- Bachelor's: University of Minnesota, 1994
- Profession: Educator and Administrator
- Incumbent officeholder: No
- Campaign website
- Campaign endorsements
- Campaign Facebook
Elections
General election
The general election will occur on April 7, 2026.
General election for Portage County Executive
Eric Olson (Nonpartisan) and Ray Reser (Nonpartisan) are running in the general election for Portage County Executive on April 7, 2026.
Candidate | ||
Eric Olson (Nonpartisan)  | ||
| Ray Reser (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Endorsements
Olson received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Olson's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Eric Olson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Olson's responses.
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- The County Executive Should Remain an Elected Position. I support the will of the voters, who approved a county executive structure by the 2005 referendum. Separating the executive branch from the legislative branch provides an important check on any one person wielding too much power. Before creating the Executive, the Portage County Board Chair would drive most key decisions, but the chair is only elected by one district. My opponent tried to eliminate the county executive position, but quickly realized it was not what people wanted when he couldn’t collect enough signatures from voters. We are better off with an elected Executive who must be responsive to the will of the voters from across the county.
- Open, transparent, and accountable government is paramount. I would collaborate with others to host trainings through Extension, the Attorney General’s office, and the Wisconsin Counties Association to review and improve our practices. This state has a long history of open and transparent government. That is critical if we want people to trust that their elected officials are using public resources wisely and following all laws and ordinances. The online system we have for sharing agendas, packets, minutes and recordings works far better than what the public would have experienced decades ago. It should be searchable so that people can easily get answers.
- I support building a new jail, but the other parts of the county's construction plans merit some scrutiny The current plan is to complete both the jail AND the LEC first and simultaneously before addressing the long-term need for safe courtrooms. The lack of transparency has prevented the public from feeling confident that the most cost-effective and efficient option is the current plan chosen behind closed doors. The current plan requires spending millions of dollars on a temporary location during construction, which is money that can’t be recovered and doesn’t invest in a structure that can be used for the benefit of the county after the project is finished.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Olson's campaign website stated the following:
Issues and Ideas
As Executive I will focus on the Public Good and the broad interests of the entire county.
The Local Economy
Communities are increasingly competing to attract mobile 21st Century workers. Portage County can be a more active partner with businesses, schools, and higher education to increase the quality of life and promote a robust and diverse workforce. As Executive, I would play a visible leadership role in promoting how great our county is.
Government Transparency and Accountability
The internet makes it easier than ever for county governments to be accessible and accountable, but only if a leader pushes for it. As Executive I will leverage the technology we have at our disposal to ensure Portage County is an innovative leader in open government and public participation.
The Need for a County Executive
The voters of Portage County created the Office of Executive in 2005 because they were tired of county decisions and investments that did not reflect county-wide priorities. A county administrator would report to the county board chair, who in turn will tend to focus on the needs and views of voters in his or her own district. The County Executive must be independent of the board and put to the test of all Portage County voters every four years.
Groundwater
Water resources are one of the best examples of public goods and yet they’ve been historically given over to private interests. Wisconsin’s Constitution establishes a public trust in water that state and local governments are charged with upholding. The County Executive must play a visible leadership role in moving us all forward on meaningful initiatives to ensure clean, safe drinking water is available to everyone.
Community Sustainability and Resiliency
Portage County is well positioned to take advantage of opportunities to conserve energy, produce renewable energy, and prepare for the impacts of climate change. As County Executive I will work with community members, Mid-State Technical College and UW Stevens Point to revive Portage County’s sustainability plans and move quickly towards their implementation.
— Eric Olson's campaign website (March 24, 2026)
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ "Email with Wisconsin State Election Commission," March 16, 2026
