| Barbara F. Olschner | |
| Birth Name: | Barbara Friers Olschner[1] |
| Birth Date: | 29 March 1951[2] |
| Birth Place: | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Known For: | Author, speaker, politician |
| Alma Mater: | University of North Carolina Cumberland School of Law |
| Occupation: | Author, lawyer |
| Website: | http://thereluctantrepublican.net/ |
Barbara Friers Olschner (born March 29, 1951) is a published author, speaker, lawyer and politician.[3] Olshner ran for Congress as a moderate Republican in Florida's 2nd congressional district in 2010. In 2013, she published a book titled, The Reluctant Republican: My Fight for the Moderate Majority, released by the University Press of Florida, which is a non-fiction account of the 2010 race.[4] The book received a lot of praise from the general public on her attempt to address extremism.[5] [6] She was also the founder and owner of the law firm Olschner & Hart in Birmingham, Alabama, and now practices law in Fairhope, Alabama. Olschner has over twenty-five years of litigation experience.
She is also the founder of the non-profit organization, Purple Moderates, which was established to "educate, inform and support" a moderate platform in politics.
Olschner is a native of North Carolina who moved to Birmingham, Alabama, to practice law. After 30 years, she moved to Walton County, Florida, where she currently resides. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Creative Arts from the University of North Carolina and received her law degree from Cumberland School of Law, Samford University in Birmingham.