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Christopher Olson
- This article is about the North Dakota legislator. For the Libertarian candidate in Arkansas, see Chris Olson.
Christopher D. Olson is a former Republican member of the North Dakota House of Representatives, representing District 13 from 2014 to 2018. Olson did not seek re-election to the North Dakota House of Representatives in 2018.
Committee assignments
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| North Dakota committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Finance and Taxation |
| • Government and Veterans Affairs |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Olson served on the following committees:
| North Dakota committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Transportation |
Campaign themes
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Christopher Olson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Olson's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
1.look for areas of waste or duplication 2. Lobby legislature to make it easier for small businesses to do business in Arkansas. 3. Lobby legislature to ease ballot access requirements.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Elections, taxes, government overreach
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
Harry Browne. I strive to follow Christ's example.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
"For a New Liberty" by Murray Rothbard; "Why Government Doesn't Work" by Harry Browne
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Honesty, integrity, humility
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
Honesty, and a respect for people where they are, and a desire to protect and extend their liberties
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
Customer service and an eye for detail. An earnest belief in citizens liberty.
What legacy would you like to leave?
A freer world.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
Invasion of Grenada. 6 years old.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
Subway. 5 months
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Thanksgiving. A time for family to come together.
What is your favorite book? Why?
Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
Andre-Louis Moreau. Exemplifies courage, loyalty, and willingness to act in defense of principles and friends.
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My desk. It belonged to my father.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
Sweet Illusions by Ryan Adams
What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government?
Oversight of elections
What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?
Oversight of elections
Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?
Accepting payment of franchise taxes and facilitating business incorporations.
What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?
Customer service, and managing and interacting with people from different backgrounds and perspectives.
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.
2014
Olson's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[1]
Life
- Excerpt: "The Constitution is clear in the matter of the inalienable right of a person to their own life. Modern science, untainted by political confusion, is clear on the biological result of conception. Therefore, I support the rightful purpose of reestablishing the rule of law in the State of North Dakota and defining life at conception. The lives of all North Dakotans deserve equal protection, without discrimination towards developmental status."
Education
- Excerpt: "North Dakotans ought to have school choice. I’ll fight for the rights of homeschoolers and private schoolers. At the same time, I’ll fight for the fiscal responsibility and common sense policies necessary to ensure our public schools deliver the best value. Here in West Fargo, I understand all to well the struggles at providing enough classroom space for fast growing communities. With responsible budgeting that ensures Constitutional prerogatives on school funding are followed, I’m confident we can satisfy the needs of our growth."
Taxes & Spending
- Excerpt: "With skyrocketing revenues, largely from our booming oil industry, I’d like to see taxes reduced or even eliminated as much as possible on everyday North Dakotans. I don’t believe in policies that cater to particular groups or business interests. I’ll work to reduce taxes across the board, wherever practical and possible. I’ll hold the line on state spending beyond the core functions of government and will proactively work to cut waste and inefficiency."
Banking & Finance
- Excerpt: "With my background and experience in finance, I will support monetary reforms that advance the economic security and independence of North Dakotans. I’ll be outlining more specific policy proposals in the near future."
Oil Industry
- Excerpt: "North Dakota’s oil boom is an enormous blessing in the midst of a nationwide economic downturn. We have a moral obligation to pursue tax and regulatory policies that support and encourage this immense financial benefit to our great state. At the same time, we must prioritize much needed infrastructure to match the demands and challenges ahead, while not unduly burdening ordinary citizens with special assessments."
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2018
Christopher Olson did not file to run for re-election.
2014
Elections for the North Dakota House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 10, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 7, 2014. Incumbent Kim Koppelman and Christopher Olson were unopposed in the Republican primary, while Jaci Stofferahn and Scott Brand were unopposed in the Democratic primary. Koppelman and Olson defeated Stofferahn and Brand in the general election.[2][3][4]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Kim Koppelman Incumbent |
32.8% | 3,034 | |
| Republican | Christopher Olson |
26.4% | 2,443 | |
| Democratic | Scott Brand | 22.6% | 2,089 | |
| Democratic | Jaci Stofferahn | 18.2% | 1,687 | |
| Total Votes | 9,253 | |||
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.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of North Dakota scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2018
In 2018, the North Dakota Legislative Assembly did not hold a regular session.
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the 65th North Dakota Legislative Assembly was in session from January 3 through April 27.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the North Dakota Legislative Assembly did not hold a regular session. |
2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the 64th North Dakota Legislative Assembly was in session from January 6 through April 29.
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Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Christopher + Olson + North + Dakota + House"
See also
- North Dakota House of Representatives
- House Committees
- North Dakota Legislative Assembly
- North Dakota state legislative districts
External links
- Profile from Open States
- Official campaign website
- Christopher Olson on Facebook
- Christopher Olson on LinkedIn
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions via OpenSecrets
Footnotes
- ↑ Olson for ND, "Issues," accessed September 18, 2014
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "2014 Primary Election Contest/Candidate List," accessed April 9, 2014
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Official Results Primary Election - June 10, 2014," accessed July 8, 2014
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Official General Election Results," accessed November 17, 2014
