Party: Republican

Official Bio:

Nels Pierson is a Realtor and real estate developer in the Rochester area. He is married to Nicole and they have three children Sonja, Nels IV and Mardoche. He received his undergraduate degree from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1995 and went back to school while working to obtain his Juris Doctor from Hamline University School of Law in 2012.

Nels' friends often tease him because he first describes himself as a "dairy farmer from Butterfield." Nels was born and raised in southern Minnesota, where his father was a dairy farmer and mother was a teacher. In Butterfield he learned the value of hard work, family, a good education, and access to quality health care. Whether serving in local 4-H leadership or as captain of his high school wrestling team, Nels has been active in the community from a young age.

When Nels was very young, his father was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Throughout his youth, his father spent a lot of time in the hospital. Thanks to the care provided by physicians, nurses and other care givers, his father was able to continue working on the farm. When he required a heart transplant, Nels and his siblings operated the family farm. The family spent summers showing their cattle at county, regional, state and national dairy shows.

His mother had a passion for education so after high school Nels left the farm to attend Gustavus Adolphus College, where he studied political science and speech communications. He also developed a passion for long-distance running, and became a walk-on athlete for Gustavus' track and cross country teams.

During the summers, he returned home to help his father on the farm and worked night shift jobs in a meat packing plant and metal fabrication/electro plating factory. On the farm and in the plant, Nels saw not only the value of these jobs but also the value of the people who worked them.

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