Nolan was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1968 and served two terms (1969-73), representing House District 53A (Morrison County).
His uncle Martin J. McGowan Jr. also served in the Minnesota Legislature.
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.

See also:
1972 election results
1974 election results
1976 election results
1978 election results
In 1979, he broke with his party in endorsing Senator Ted Kennedy for President over the sitting Democratic President Jimmy Carter.

In 2007, he endorsed Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd in his campaign for President of the United States, and traveled the state of Iowa campaigning on his behalf.
Nolan was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1968 and served two terms (1969-73), representing House District 53A (Morrison County). His uncle Martin J. McGowan Jr. also served in the Minnesota Legislature. 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.
See also:
1972 election results
1974 election results
1976 election results
1978 election results
In 1979, he broke with his party in endorsing Senator Ted Kennedy for President over the sitting Democratic President Jimmy Carter.
In 2007, he endorsed Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd in his campaign for President of the United States, and traveled the state of Iowa campaigning on his behalf.
Rick Nolan