STILLWATER - Bob Olson, a Democrat who previously planned to run for the U.S. Senate seat occupied by Republican Norm Coleman, said Monday he will instead run for the 6th Congressional District seat held by U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Olson officially announced his candidacy in a press conference at the state Capitol this morning, but the move had been rumored for weeks. On Saturday, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that a member of Olson's campaign staff confirmed the switch.

In a telephone interview Monday, Olson said he made the move after he was "heavily recruited" to do so by Democratic Party officials.

"We have good candidates running against Norm Coleman at the Senate level, and people came to me over the last several weeks asking me if I wouldn't be willing to run against Michele Bachman," he said.

Bachmann, a Republican from Stillwater, had no comment on Olson's announcement.

Olson, a banker and tax lawyer who has never held elected office, said he was open to the idea of running for the House seat because he would be equally able to address his core issues - energy policy, health care and taxes - from either chamber.

"The issues are the same; whether the legislation comes out of the House or the Senate is quite irrelevant," he said.

Olson's campaign platform calls for greater support of renewable energy initiatives, affordable health care for all Americans and a tax policy that would shift some of the burden from the middle class to the country's wealthiest citizens.

Despite his lack of political experience, Olson said his past as a banker, tax lawyer and renewable energy advocate have given him the background he needs to be a capable U.S. Representative.

Olson said that background also differentiates him from his fellow DFL challenger, Bob Hill, a lawyer and radio talk show host from Grant.

In a telephone interview Monday, Hill said he considers Olson a friend, and he was surprised to hear of the switch because Olson had in the past been very supportive of his candidacy.

"Personally, I think he is in a situation where he realized he couldn't get the Senate nomination. ... I don't think the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) or anybody within the Democratic party here is encouraging him one way or the other or, for that matter, is displeased with my candidacy," Hill said, noting that several high-profile Democrats have already supported his campaign, including U.S. Senate candidates Mike Ciresi and Al Franken.

"I've got top-notch people all the way around and we've got the money to run a first-class campaign all the way around, and we're going to," Hill said.

Last week, Hill's campaign reported it had received $200,554 in contributions in the second quarter, with half of that coming from Hill himself. The campaign has $184,469 in cash on hand.

When Hill announced his candidacy in March, less than two months after Bachmann took office, he said it was an "unfortunate truth" that the amount of money he would need to raise to mount a serious challenge forced him to launch his campaign so early.

Bachmann's camp raised $294,302 in the second quarter, leaving her campaign with $336,750 in cash on hand.

Though Olson declined to say how much his campaign has raised so far, he said he is "convinced that money will not be an issue for us."

Olson said he expects the encouragement he has recently received to translate into concrete support for his campaign.

"Over the last few weeks I've been heavily recruited to run against Michele Bachmann. I've been very honored by the effort. And along with that enthusiasm comes people who are willing to provide support - not just political support and volunteer support, but financial support, as well," he said.

"She, in a lot of people's minds, does not represent Minnesota well and does not represent the 6th District well," he continued. "In my opinion, even more important than that are the issues I represent: energy, health care, and tax reform."

The 6th Congressional District stretches from St. Cloud area south and east around the Twin Cities to the Stillwater area.