Rick Nolan has died at the age of 80. He used to be a politician in Northern Minnesota.
The Minnesota DFL party said early Friday morning that Nolan had died.
Rep. Nolan was born in Brainerd and worked for the 8th Congressional District from 2013 to 2019.
There was no word right away on what killed him.
“Rick Nolan fought hard to protect working people from corporate interests and was a champion for the Northland.” He lived by the DFL faith that “we all do better when we all do better” from Ely to Duluth. The DFL’s Ken Martin wrote, “Our thoughts are with his family and everyone who knew and loved this dedicated public servant.”
A DFL senator from Minnesota named Grant Hauschild shared the following comment on Facebook on Friday. Hauschild represents a part of the same area that Nolan did.
“Rick Nolan was a unique Congressman.” He fought more than anyone else for the place they loved. His constant positivity spread like wildfire, and he always spent his money to help future leaders do better. Northern Minnesota will miss our Champion when he goes to heaven to be with other great politicians from our area. “Rick, rest in peace,” Hauschild wrote.
In the 1960s, Nolan’s first job was as a social studies teacher in Royalton, Minnesota.
They put him in the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1969 and he stayed there until 1975. Since then, he has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District.
When Nolan was first voted to serve Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House in 2012, he had taken a break from politics to work for the U.S. Export Corporation and the Minnesota World Trade Center in St. Paul.
In 2012, Nolan beat Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack. Two years earlier, Cravaack got rid of former DFL Rep. James Obsertar in a shocking win.
During his time as representative for Minnesota’s 8th District, Nolan had to deal with a lot of problems, including those from businessman Stewart Mills.
Lori Swanson chose Nolan to be her deputy governor when she ran for governor of Minnesota in 2018. In the end, current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan beat them in the primary.
Since then, Nolan had stopped running for office.
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