Buffalo Rep. Bruce Anderson to Run for State Senate

Longtime Wright County legislator Rep. Bruce Anderson, a Republican from Buffalo Township, announced Tuesday he will be running for Minnesota State Senate in the fall 2012.

Anderson will aim to take the place of former Sen. Amy Koch, the former Senate Majority Leader, as the Republican-endorsed candiate for State Senate this fall. Koch announced late last year she would not be running for re-election to her seat in Senate District 19 and confirmed that again last month.

Anderson currently represents House District 19A, or western Wright County, which includes most of Buffalo and all of Monticello, and several surrounding townships.

Senate District 19 includes that area, as well as House District 19B, which includes , , Otsego and areas to the southeast, including Delano.

Those districts will, most likely, change later this month when the Minnesota Supreme Court hands down its final decision on House and Senate Redistricting plans.

However, Anderson would still replace Koch on the ballot, since both are from the Buffalo area.

"Many freedom-loving, God-fearing, supporters have encouraged me to represent in the Senate the conservative values I have maintained over the past years in the House," said Anderson via Tuesday’s release. Once the new Senate District lines are determined, I plan to make a formal announcement.”

Anderson is a military veteran, having served in the Minnesota Air Force Reserve. He retired from the military prior to his run in 2010. He is a widower, and lives on his small farm in Buffalo Township with his daughter.

“Bruce is a very good man, a family man that represents Wright County values and does his job very well,” Koch said of her Republican colleague back in 2010. “I’m honored to work with him.”

The Taxpayers League of Minnesota, for his ardent opposition to raising taxes, has listed Anderson as a “Friend of the Taxpayer.”

In the House, he is the chair of the Veterans Services Division, and also serves on the Agriculture and Rural Development Policy and Finance, State Government Finance and the House Ways and Means committees.

Anderson, to his credit, called for a raise in revenue via the current tax system and was confident the Legislature would pull the state out of a fiscal deficit in 2011.

“By prioritizing spending and implementing thoughtful reforms, we can deliver the services our citizens rely upon within a sustainable, balanced budget. My Republican colleagues and I will continue to move our initiatives that utilize technology, drive innovation and create cost-savings and fiscal stability,” he said.

Under the current redistricting plans, the St. Michael-Albertville area would most likely have new representation in 2012. However, some plans still group the STMA area with Buffalo, dividing the county north/south, rather than its east/west configuration. That would keep Anderson, if elected, in STMA’s district.