ELMORE — Elmore Mayor Bjorn Olson believes his experience and background will translate well as he seeks the District 23A seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Olson received the endorsement of the Republican Party on May 19 and has moved on to a new phase of his campaign, after officially filing for the position. He is seeking to replace outgoing state Rep. Bob Gunther, R-Fairmont, who is retiring after 25 years.

Olson says he is committed to following in Gunther’s footsteps as a “strong conservative voice for the district.”

“I understand I have big shoes to fill …” Olson said. “I’m honored by our district’s confidence in me, and I promise to work tirelessly to fight for our way of life here in southern Minnesota.”

While Olson is the endorsed Republican candidate in 23A, he is not yet 100 percent assured of representing the party on the ballot in the fall. Minnesota holds a primary election in August. Olson’s two rivals for the party nod — Fairmont engineer Michael Sukalski and Jackson economic development coordinator Tom Nelson — have said they would abide by the endorsement. But another candidate could emerge.

The odds, though, do strongly favor Olson. They also favor his winning. No Democrat has yet emerged in the race, and Gunther easily defeated all those who tried to capture the seat over the years.

Asked about his priorities for the district, Olson said there is one: its people.

“As a legislator, I will utilize the experiences that I have obtained throughout my life as a farmer, a soldier and a mayor in order to serve this district to the absolute utmost of my abilities,” he said.

Olson is serving his second term as Elmore mayor. He farms in the area, teaches at Blue Earth Area Schools and is a captain in command of an Army Reserve unit in Buffalo, Minnesota. He and his wife, Hannah, live with their two young children in Elmore.

Olson says his experiences have provided him with the ability to work with anyone in order to find common ground and get things done. He may have to. Democrats currently control the Minnesota House, so Olson could find himself in the minority, as Gunther has in recent years. Olson pointed to his record in Elmore as evidence of his capabilities.

“As the mayor of my town, I have not always found myself in the majority, but throughout my tenure as the mayor much has been accomplished,” he said. “For example, the year before I became mayor, the city ran a budget deficit of $120,000. My first year as mayor, we had a budget surplus of $23,000 and our budget remains balanced to this day. That was a major accomplishment that we all worked together to solve.”

Olson said voters can visit his website — bjornolsonformn.com — for more information and ways to contact him.