A Republican, he is the owner of John Carlson Agency, an insurance service provider.
He was a member of the Capital Investment, the Environment and Natural Resources, the Higher Education, and the State Government Innovation and Veterans committees.
His special legislative concerns included redesigning of government services, jobs and economy, and education reform.
[2] Following redistricting in 2012, Carlson was placed in District 5 alongside Democratic Senator Tom Saxhaug.
He worked for many years as an accountant and later chief financial officer at Northern Medical Imaging in Bemidji before starting his insurance business.