Andrea Olsen

Andrea Olsen is an American Democratic politician serving as a member of the Montana State Senate for District 48, a position she assumed on January 6, 2025, following her election in November 2024.^[1] A fifth-generation Montanan and lifelong resident of Missoula, she previously represented House District 100 from 2015 to 2023 after winning election in 2014.^[2][1] Olsen's legislative work emphasizes expanding access to healthcare and quality education, protecting clean air and water alongside public lands, and supporting economic growth with good-paying jobs, particularly for working families and vulnerable populations.^[2] Over her decade in the legislature, she has focused on bipartisan efforts to address constituent needs in these areas, though specific landmark bills or major controversies remain limited in public records from official and campaign sources.^[2][3]

Early life and education

Upbringing and family background

Andrea Olsen was born in Missoula, Montana, on December 24, 1961, and raised there as a lifelong resident of the city and surrounding House District 100 area.^[4] As a fifth-generation Montanan, her family roots trace back multiple generations within the state, reflecting deep ties to Montana's communities.^[2][5] Specific details regarding her parents or siblings are not publicly documented in available biographical sources.^[6]

Academic qualifications

Andrea Olsen received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Montana.^{[4] [1]} She earned this bachelor's degree with honors.^[1] Olsen subsequently obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Montana School of Law.^{[4] [1] [7]} This legal education supported her subsequent career as an attorney prior to entering politics.^[1]

Pre-political professional career

Roles in policy analysis and economic development

Prior to her election to the Montana House of Representatives in 2014, Andrea Olsen maintained a private legal practice in Missoula, where she focused on consumer law as a licensed attorney for over 30 years.^[8][9] Her professional experience as an attorney involved client representation in legal disputes, but public records do not detail dedicated positions in formal policy analysis organizations or economic development initiatives. Additionally, Olsen served as faculty at the University of Montana, contributing to legal instruction following her Juris Doctor from the institution.^[10] This academic role likely intersected with discussions of regulatory and economic policy in legal contexts, though specific projects in economic development remain undocumented in legislative biographies or professional profiles.

Entry into politics

2014 election to Montana House of Representatives

In the Democratic primary election for Montana House of Representatives District 100 on June 3, 2014, Andrea Olsen defeated challenger Chuck Swysor.^[11] Olsen received 1,102 votes, comprising 73.4% of the total cast in the primary.^[12] District 100, encompassing portions of Missoula in western Montana, leaned Democratic, facilitating Olsen's advancement without a Republican opponent in the general election.^[13] On November 4, 2014, Olsen ran unopposed and secured all 3,252 votes cast, earning certification for the seat effective January 2015.^[14] Olsen's campaign emphasized support for Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, positioning her as an advocate for economic and health policy reforms in the district.^[11] This victory marked her initial entry into elected office, following a professional background in policy analysis.

Service in the House (2015–2023)

Olsen represented Montana House District 100, covering portions of Missoula, from January 5, 2015, to January 2, 2023, securing reelection in 2016 with 79.23% of the vote, in 2018, and in 2020 with 82.3%.^[1] As a Democrat serving during periods of Republican majorities in the legislature, she focused her work on committees dealing with natural resources, energy policy, and agriculture.^[1] Throughout her House tenure, Olsen held assignments on the Agriculture Committee, including as vice chair during the 2021 session; the Natural Resources Committee; the Energy, Technology, and Federal Relations Committee; and the Business and Labor Committee.^[15][4][1] These roles positioned her to influence debates on land use, utility regulation, and rural economic issues pertinent to Montana's resource-dependent economy. Olsen sponsored bills aligned with environmental sustainability and regulatory reforms. In 2021, she introduced House Bill 414, requiring public utilities to submit plans for transitioning to 100% renewable energy sources, though it advanced through committee hearings but did not pass the full House.^[16] That same session, she sponsored House Bill 546, revising provisions related to state administrative laws. In 2019, as primary sponsor of House Bill 745, she successfully advanced legislation that was assigned a chapter number and enacted, addressing targeted policy adjustments within her committee jurisdictions.^[17] Her voting record earned a 100% score from the Montana Environmental Information Center on key environmental bills in 2019, indicating consistent support for conservation measures.^[18]

State Senate career

2022 election and subsequent terms

In the 2022 Montana State Senate election for District 50, which encompasses central Missoula, Andrea Olsen, then a Democratic state representative, secured the Democratic nomination in the primary held on June 7, 2022.^[19] She proceeded to the general election on November 8, 2022, where she defeated Republican challenger Nick Knowles, receiving 7,455 votes to Knowles's 2,808, for a margin of 72.6% to 27.4%.^[20] This victory followed her decision to seek higher office after serving four terms in the Montana House of Representatives, constrained by the state's eight-year consecutive term limit for that chamber.^[21] Olsen assumed her Senate seat at the start of the 2023 legislative session on January 2, 2023, representing Senate District 50.^[22] Following redistricting based on the 2020 census, which adjusted district boundaries and numbers for the latter portion of even-year elected terms, her constituency was redesignated as Senate District 48 beginning with the 2025 session; this district covers central Missoula west of the city core.^[23] She continues to serve this four-year term, set to conclude after the 2026 general election, during which Montana senators face no consecutive term limit beyond the eight-year cap applicable across both legislative chambers.^[21] As of October 2025, Olsen remains the incumbent for District 48, with no subsequent re-election having occurred.^[24]

Committee assignments and legislative focus

In the Montana State Senate, Andrea Olsen serves as vice chair of the Judiciary Committee and the Legislative Consumer Committee, while holding membership on the Education and Cultural Resources Committee and the Highways and Transportation Committee.^[25][26] These assignments position her to influence policy on judicial processes, consumer protections, educational standards, cultural preservation, infrastructure development, and transportation funding, reflecting the Senate's division of labor during the 2025 legislative session.^[24] Olsen's legislative priorities emphasize consumer safeguards, workers' rights, healthcare accessibility, affordable housing, public lands preservation, and climate mitigation measures, as outlined on her campaign platform.^[27] She has sponsored bills advancing these areas, including SB 295 (2025), which seeks to restore injured workers' ability to select their own physicians under workers' compensation laws, and SB 290 (2025), revising insurance regulations to enhance coverage for uninsured and underinsured motorists.^[28][24] Additional efforts include SB 292 (2025), broadening product liability for sellers of defective goods, and SR 14 (2025), a resolution urging federal expansion of radiation exposure compensation to include Montana sites.^[29][26] Her committee roles have informed targeted advocacy, such as contributions to judicial reform discussions in the Judiciary Committee, where bills addressing election partisanship and court procedures have advanced amid broader session debates on branch oversight.^[30] In Education and Cultural Resources, Olsen supports measures aligning with public lands access, while her transportation assignment addresses infrastructure needs tied to housing and economic development in District 48.^[31] These focuses align with her prior House service but adapt to Senate dynamics, prioritizing incremental reforms over sweeping overhauls.

Legislative record and positions

Sponsored bills and voting history

During her time in the Montana House of Representatives (2015–2022), Olsen sponsored bills aligned with her background in policy analysis, though specific examples from that period are sparsely detailed in public records beyond general economic and development themes. In the Senate, particularly the 2025 session, she primary-sponsored 14 measures, many focused on consumer protections, labor rights, and sustainability, amid a Republican majority where most failed in committee. Notable proposals included SB 290, revising uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage requirements to enhance claimant access to insurance details; SB 295, restoring injured workers' ability to select their own physicians under workers' compensation; and SB 291, updating wage definitions for compensation calculations. She also introduced SB 294, mandating public utilities to submit plans for achieving 100% renewable energy, and SB 541, establishing a pollinator health task force with reporting on threats to bee populations. Among these, only resolutions advanced: SR 14, urging federal inclusion of Montana sites in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act for downwinders and workers; and SJ 19, directing an interim study on public transportation infrastructure. Olsen's voting record reflects consistent support for Democratic priorities in a divided legislature, including expansions of healthcare access, environmental safeguards, and workers' protections, often opposing Republican-led tax reductions and deregulation. In 2025, she earned a 100% rating from Montana Conservation Voters—an advocacy group with environmentalist leanings—for backing measures like SB 188 (Solar Shares Act for community solar access) and HB 477 (phasing out polystyrene), while opposing HB 285 (easing Environmental Policy Act reviews).^[32] BillTrack50 scorecards similarly show 100% alignment on access to healthcare, abortion rights, and gender equality issues across tracked votes. Her lifetime environmental score stands at 95% per the same group, indicating reliability on conservation but potential selectivity amid broader legislative gridlock.^[32] Specific votes include yes on removing Medicaid expansion sunsets and revising property tax laws, but no on prioritizing tax cuts for high earners over social funding, per session analyses.^[24] No comprehensive conservative scorecards were identified, though her partisan alignment suggests low ratings from free-market or limited-government evaluators.^[33]

Key policy stances on economy, environment, and governance

Olsen supports expanding affordable housing options to mitigate economic pressures on Montana residents, emphasizing initiatives that promote accessible homeownership and rental opportunities.^[27] She advocates for policies fostering "good jobs" through strong union protections, including opposition to right-to-work legislation, support for majority sign-up organizing, and preservation of public employee collective bargaining rights.^[27] Additionally, Olsen backs infrastructure investments to generate employment in both traditional energy sectors like coal and rail, alongside renewable energy development, while endorsing sustainable wages with benefits such as health insurance and pensions.^[27] In 2023, she sponsored resolutions for interim studies on Montana's economic future, aiming to evaluate long-term growth strategies.^[22] On environmental issues, Olsen prioritizes access to and protection of public lands, positioning Montana's natural resources as essential for recreation and conservation.^[27] She has expressed commitment to addressing climate change through proactive measures, including the promotion of renewable energy as a pathway to sustainable economic development.^[27] During the 2025 legislative session, Olsen sponsored SB 294, which sought to mandate utilities to create integrated resource plans for energy accountability, though the bill was tabled.^[34] Her voting record includes opposition to SB 221, which proposed general revisions to the Montana Environmental Policy Act, reflecting resistance to changes that could dilute environmental review processes.^[35] In governance matters, Olsen emphasizes safeguarding constitutional rights, human dignity, and voting access, advocating for legislation that ensures every eligible Montanan can participate in elections without undue barriers.^[27] She supports consumer protections as a core element of fair governance, aligning with broader efforts to uphold individual liberties amid policy debates.^[27] However, her vote against HB 272 in 2025, which aimed to classify legislative bill drafting files as public records, indicates a stance favoring limited transparency in certain legislative processes.^[35]

Controversies and criticisms

2016 campaign finance complaint

In August 2018, Jake Eaton, a Billings-based Republican political consultant, filed a campaign practices complaint (COPP-2018-CFP-035) with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices against Andrea Olsen, alleging violations of state campaign finance laws during her 2016 re-election bid for Montana House District 100.^[36] The specific claims centered on Olsen's use of campaign committee funds to pay a $175 filing fee for her candidacy—deemed improper under Montana law prohibiting personal use of such funds for filing fees—and inadequate descriptions of expenditures in her C-5 finance reports for the period June 24 to October 4, 2016, including a $175 debt listed vaguely as "Invites, Art" to a Missoula vendor.^[37][36] The Commissioner investigated under Montana Code Annotated §§ 13-37-124 (authorizing consultation with county attorneys for enforcement) and 13-37-128 (establishing civil actions for intentional or negligent reporting violations, with penalties up to three times unlawful amounts or $500).^[38][39] No evidence of intentional misconduct was substantiated, but the discrepancies suggested negligent compliance with reporting requirements for expenditure purposes and vendor details, as mandated by administrative rules under Title 13, Chapter 37.^[36][40] The matter concluded via settlement agreement signed January 6, 2020, and postmarked January 8, 2020, in which Olsen consented to a reduced civil resolution rather than maximum penalties, acknowledging administrative oversights without admitting willful violation.^[41][42] This outcome aligned with routine handling of technical reporting issues in Montana elections, where settlements often mitigate minor discrepancies without referral for prosecution; the complaint's timing—filed over 18 months after the November 8, 2016, general election—and Eaton's partisan background raised questions of selective enforcement amid competitive district races, though the Commissioner's review affirmed procedural lapses warranting correction.^[42] No further public disclosures detailed the exact fine amount, and the resolution had no bearing on Olsen's successful 2016 re-election or subsequent terms.^[41]

Broader critiques of legislative approach

Critics, primarily from Republican lawmakers, have characterized Olsen's legislative approach as excessively procedural and obstructive, particularly in her role as vice chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the 2025 session, where she issued formal objections to hearings and testimonies aimed at probing alleged judicial partisanship. For instance, on January 7, 2025, Olsen objected to the summoning of Montana State Bar President Kathleen Hamilton Tease to testify before the committee on Republican-led investigations into court biases, arguing it violated protocols and represented undue politicization.^[43][44] Proponents of these reforms, including committee members, contended that such interventions prioritize institutional defense over addressing empirical patterns where Montana courts have invalidated over a dozen Republican-sponsored laws since 2021 on grounds of unconstitutionality, such as property tax reforms and election measures, fostering perceptions of judicial overreach rather than balanced legislative-judicial dialogue.^[45] This approach has been further critiqued for emphasizing constitutional absolutism at the expense of pragmatic governance, with opponents attributing resulting gridlock to Democrats like Olsen resisting structural changes—such as partisan endorsements for judicial candidates or legislative standing in lawsuits—that could enhance accountability without undermining independence. Republican analyses, drawing from case outcomes like the Montana Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against voter ID expansions, argue Olsen's advocacy for "protecting the fair, impartial nature of the courts" overlooks causal evidence of asymmetric rulings favoring progressive outcomes, potentially reflecting institutional biases amplified by her procedural blocks.^[46][47] In response, Olsen maintains these critiques misframe Republican efforts as retaliatory against valid judicial checks, but detractors, citing the volume of struck-down bills (e.g., 15 major GOP initiatives from 2021–2023), view her stance as ideologically rigid, hindering Montana's adaptation to voter priorities on issues like taxation and public safety.^[45][48]

Reception and impact

Achievements and endorsements

Olsen's 2022 election to the Montana State Senate represented a key achievement, as she transitioned from the House of Representatives—where she served from 2015 to 2023—to secure District 50 (redistricted to 48), defeating Republican challenger Jeffrey W. Essmann with 52.5% of the vote on November 8, 2022.^[1] This victory expanded Democratic representation in the Republican-controlled legislature and underscored her base in Missoula, a progressive stronghold. Her campaign emphasized priorities like affordable housing, public lands access, and climate mitigation, aligning with local voter concerns in western Montana.^[27] In the Senate, Olsen has focused on resolutions advancing federal advocacy, notably sponsoring SR 69 in the 2023 session, which passed the chamber on April 25, 2023, urging Congress to extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to cover Montanans affected by nuclear testing and uranium mining. She also co-sponsored measures on privacy in facilities (HB 121, concurred in Senate) and workforce scholarship revisions (HB 245), reflecting bipartisan engagement amid minority party constraints.^[26] These efforts highlight her role in highlighting overlooked public health and education issues, though substantive law changes as prime sponsor remain scarce in a divided body.^[24] Her campaign garnered over 450 endorsements, including from more than 70 elected officials such as Republican Representative Jade Bahr, Democratic Senator Anders Blewett, and Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins, signaling cross-partisan appeal on local governance.^[49] Pro-LGBTQ organizations provided prominent support, with LPAC selecting her in July 2022 as part of its milestone 100-candidate endorsement slate for advancing women's leadership, and the Victory Fund backing her in May 2022 to bolster queer representation in state offices.^[50][51] Environmental groups like the Sierra Club's Montana Chapter also endorsed her for commitments to conservation and public lands protection.^[52] These backings, drawn from community activists, educators, and business figures, affirmed her grassroots mobilization despite national Democratic headwinds in Montana.^[49]

Public and political evaluations

Olsen has received endorsements from Democratic colleagues and local officials in Missoula, including Representatives Jade Bahr and Barbara Bessette, Senator Anders Blewett, and City Council Member Daniel Carlino, who have praised her dedication to constituent service and legislative diligence.^[49] A 2022 letter to the editor in the Missoulian described her as a friend who, after eight years in the House, would continue to "work hard for everyone" in the Senate, highlighting her responsiveness to community needs.^[53] Progressive advocacy groups have evaluated her positively on specific issues, with the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and LPAC endorsing her 2022 Senate candidacy for her support of equality measures and alignment with their priorities.^{[54] [51]} Environmental organizations, such as the Sierra Club Montana Chapter, have backed her in past cycles for her stances on public lands and climate policy, viewing her as a reliable vote against resource extraction expansions.^[52] Public evaluations, as reflected in electoral outcomes, show strong district-level support among Democratic primary voters, where she secured 62.6% of the vote in the 2022 Senate District 50 primary against incumbent Tom Steenberg.^[55] However, in the broader Republican-dominated Montana Legislature, her effectiveness has drawn mixed assessments; a 2021 Montana Free Press analysis rated her among lower "batting averages" for bill passage, noting she sponsored 21 measures in the House session with zero enactments, attributing this partly to minority party dynamics rather than individual shortcomings.^[56] Republican critics have implicitly evaluated her judicial advocacy as partisan, particularly her opposition to GOP-backed court reforms in 2025, which she argued undermine constitutional protections—a stance Democrats like Olsen frame as defending impartiality but which GOP legislators counter as resistance to accountability measures for rulings against Republican laws.^[45] No widespread public opinion polls specifically on Olsen exist, but her repeated reelections in competitive Missoula districts indicate sustained local approval among progressive-leaning voters, tempered by the state's overall GOP supermajority limiting cross-aisle influence.^[24]