Backlund lived in
Fridley, Minnesota. Backlund and his wife, Linda, had two children. His son, Mark, died in January 2008, at age 29, after a traffic accident. Mark was tasered by
Minnesota State Patrol troopers after being "uncooperative and combative." State troopers were cleared of any wrongdoing in the incident. His brother-in-law,
Daniel Knuth, and his niece,
Kate Knuth, also served in the
Minnesota Legislature. ==Notes==