Russell Olson (South Dakota politician)
Russell Olson was a Republican member of the South Dakota State Senate, representing District 8 from 2008 to 2013. In 2013, he served as State Senate Majority Leader.
In August 2013, Olson announced his resignation, effective September 30, in order to take a position as CEO of Heartland Consumer Power District.[1][2]
Olson served in the South Dakota House of Representatives, representing District 8 from 2006 to 2008.
Biography
Olson earned his B.S. in English/Political Science and his M.A. in Public Administration from the University of South Dakota. His professional experience includes working as a land use planner for the South Eastern Council of Governments, Executive Director for Lake Area Improvement Corporation and manager of Community and Economic Development at Heartland Consumer Power District.
Committee assignments
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Olson served on the following committees:
| South Dakota committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Legislative Procedure |
| • State Affairs, Vice Chair |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Olson served on the following committees:
| South Dakota committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Legislative Procedure |
| • State Affairs, Vice Chair |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Olson served on the following committees:
| South Dakota committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Commerce |
| • Education |
| • State Affairs |
Elections
2012
Olson won re-election in the 2012 election for South Dakota State Senate District 8. Olson ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on June 5 and defeated Charles Johnson (D) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Russell Olson Incumbent |
63.4% | 7,072 | |
| Democratic | Charles Johnson | 36.6% | 4,089 | |
| Total Votes | 11,161 | |||
2010
Olson ran for re-election to the 8th District seat in 2010. He ran for the seat on the Republican ticket and defeated Independent Clark Schmidtke, Sr.. The general election took place on November 2, 2010.
| South Dakota State Senate, District 8 (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Russell Olson (R)
|
6,981 | 80.90% | ||
| Clark Schmidtke, Sr. (I) | 1,648 | 19.10% | ||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Olson won election to the 8th District Seat in the South Dakota State Senate, defeating opponent Scott Parsley (D).[4]
Olson raised $66,290 for his campaign while Parsley raised $36,012.[5]
| South Dakota State Senate, District 8 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Russell Olson (R)
|
5,804 | 55.31% | ||
| Scott Parsley (D) | 4,690 | 44.69% | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "Russell + Olson + South + Dakota + Senate"
- All stories may not be relevant to this legislator due to the nature of the search engine.
External links
- Profile from the South Dakota Legislature
- Campaign website
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign Contributions: 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006
Footnotes
- ↑ KDLT, "Senate Majority Leader Olson To Resign," August 13, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2013
- ↑ Office of Governor Dennis Daugaard, "Senate Majority Leader Olson To Resign- Governor Invites Public Input," August 13, 2013
- ↑ Office of the South Dakota Secretary of State, "2012 Primary Election Candidate List," accessed April 9, 2012
- ↑ 2008 Election Results, South Dakota Senate, District 8
- ↑ District 8 South Dakota Senate Spending, 2008
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by David Gassman |
South Dakota House District 8 2007–2008 |
Succeeded by Mitch Fargen |
| Preceded by David Gassman |
South Dakota Senate District 8 2009–2013 |
Succeeded by - |
