Career
Born in Shelby, Iowa, he has lived in the small town of Nashville, North Carolina since he retired from the Air National Guard in 2002. After his military retirement, he has attempted to be elected to various offices in North Carolina. In 2004, he ran as a Republican against Democratic state senator A. B. Swindell.
In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully in the primary for state House of Representatives.
And in the 2008 primary elections, he attempted to become the Democratic candidate for Governor of North Carolina, opposing the sitting Lieutenant Governor, Beverly Perdue and the State Treasurer, Richard H. Moore. In the elections, Nielsen came last, receiving 60,000 of the 1.3 million votes cast.
Beverly Perdue eventually became the new governor, narrowly beating Republican Pat McCrory (who became governor after Perdue in 2013).
