A former Republican state lawmaker from Michigan on Tuesday became the first candidate to officially announce a challenge against freshman U.S. Rep Angie Craig, a Democrat.

Rick Olson, an attorney and onetime agricultural economist now living in Prior Lake, announced he’ll seek the Republican party nomination to challenge Craig in 2020 in the 2nd Congressional District, which includes the south suburbs.

Craig wrested the swing-district seat last year from former U.S. Rep. Jason Lewis, a former conservative talk radio host, in a rematch of a close 2016 contest for what was then an open seat. Lewis recently announced he’s challenging U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, a Democrat. While several Republicans known to Minnesota political observers have been bandied about as potential Craig challengers, Olson is the only announced challenger.

Olson, whose campaign did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday, issued an announcement via email that included a quote that seems to put him on comfortably conservative footing: “I love America, and the personal freedom and free-market system, which allowed my wife and I to come from nothing and live the American Dream, is now being put at risk in favor of rising calls for Socialism,” said Olson, who was “raised on Welfare” in a “Finnish Lutheran community” in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, according to his campaign website.

Indeed, a quick search of Olson’s political career seems to afford him conservative bona fides. He lists immigration and “preserving the individual liberties envisioned by our Founding Fathers” as important to him.

In 2010, Olson was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives as a Republican. He voted in favor of “right to work” legislation that seeks to reduce the power of unions in the workplace. He also opposed extending domestic partnership benefits to same-sex couples — a position that would contrast him with Craig, who is married to a woman.

But Olson appears to diverge from today’s most prevalent Republican doctrine as well. His views on climate change and the environment are one such area.

“I reach the conclusion that the climate is changing, that this is caused by humans burning fossil fuels, and that it is urgent we do something to reduce the negative impacts that changing climate will cause,” Oslon wrote in June on his personal blog, which appears to be a collection of many of his current policy positions. In the post, he reiterates his longstanding support for a carbon fee and dividend policy that includes a tax on carbon emissions. The idea has limited support from Republicans, but has been embraced by numerous Democrats, including widespread support from U.S. House Democrats, and 2020 presidential candidates such as Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg.

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Lakeland mayor fined $250 over missing disclaimer on campaign material Olson also says he’s installed solar panels on his roof and is a supporter of community solar gardens, an initiative supported by clean-energy supporters that has faced criticism from some Republican lawmakers and Republican-friendly conservative groups, like the Center of the American Experiment.

Olson served only the one term in Michigan’s House. His district’s boundaries were changed, leaving him in a heavily left-leaning district. At one point, he considered switching parties to run as a Democrat.

Asked to respond to Olson’s announcement, Craig campaign spokesman Chris Kluthe released a statement that read, in part, “Angie remains committed to fighting for the hard working families in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District.”