Nathan Nelson (politician)
# Nathan Nelson (politician)

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.

## 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.

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

## 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.

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

### Political positions

Nelson advocated a wolf hunt, saying they are a problem for farmers and ranchers in rural Minnesota. 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".

## Electoral history

2019 Republican Primary for Minnesota State House - District 11B Special Election :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Republican | Nathan Nelson | 2,371 | 88.40 |
| | Republican | Ayrlahn Johnson | 311 | 11.60 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,682 | 100.0 |

2019 Minnesota State House - District 11B Special Election :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Republican | Nathan Nelson | 3,572 | 68.43 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Tim Burkhardt | 1,647 | 31.55 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1 | 0.02 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 5,220 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

2020 Minnesota State House - District 11B :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Republican | Nathan Nelson (incumbent) | 13,484 | 65.34 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Jack Frechette | 7,145 | 34.62 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 9 | 0.04 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,638 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

2022 Minnesota State House - District 11B :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Republican | Nathan Nelson (incumbent) | 12,136 | 68.36 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Eric Olson | 5,603 | 31.56 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 13 | 0.07 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,752 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## Personal life

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

