Richard Michael Nolan (December 17, 1943 – October 18, 2024)[a] was an American politician and businessman who served as the U.S. representative from Minnesota's 8th congressional district from 2013 to 2019.

After re-entering politics in 2011, he was nominated to challenge first-term incumbent Republican Chip Cravaack in the 8th district,[6] defeating him on November 6, 2012.

Nolan pursued postgraduate work in public administration and policy formation at the University of Maryland, College Park, and in education at St.

[14] Early in his career he served as a staff assistant to Walter Mondale in the United States Senate,[15] and was a teacher of social studies in Royalton, Minnesota.

[16] He then ran unsuccessfully for Minnesota's 6th congressional district seat in the United States House of Representatives in 1972, but was elected in his second run in 1974 to the 94th Congress and reelected to the 95th and the 96th.

Export Corporation until 1986, and was later appointed to and became president of the Minnesota World Trade Center, a private-public initiative, by then-Democratic Party chairman Governor Rudy Perpich from 1987 to 1994.

[14][16] The National Journal reported that "his Republican foes criticized his $70,000 salary, which they considered high for a civil servant at the time, and the budget deficits the company ran up.

"[13] He has also served as chairman of the Mission Township[19] Planning Committee, president and board member of the Central Lakes College foundation, to which he helped direct federal funding.

[21] Nolan announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives on July 12, 2011, challenging incumbent Chip Cravaack in Minnesota's 8th congressional district.

[32] Nolan voiced opposition to the proposed route of the Enbridge Sandpiper pipeline, saying it posed environmental risks to vulnerable wetlands and drinking water in northern Minnesota.

[33] Nolan voted against an amendment requiring a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certification that necessary protections have been put in place.

[34] Nolan supported increased federal investment in the mining industry, including a "$250 million-a-year research center that would look at newer, cheaper and more environmentally friendly ways of extracting resources from the region."

According to the Duluth News Tribune, "The effort marks a rare bit of bipartisan cooperation in Washington when it comes to legislation, especially regarding the president's signature law.

In February 2013, Nolan introduced a constitutional amendment designed to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United v. FEC case that dealt with the regulation of campaign spending by organizations.

Representatives Keith Ellison, Mark Pocan, Matt Cartwright, Jared Huffman and Raúl Grijalva as co-sponsors of legislation calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision.

[49] Nolan sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and four of its Subcommittees: Highways and Transit; Aviation; Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management; and Water Resources and the Environment.