Anderson said the four-day orientation for freshman legislators (on Nov. 14 and was continued on Dec. 3-5), “was pretty intense,” as he and the other 24 freshman legislature members attended a variety of panels to inform the new politicians of what they might expect when their terms begins. In some cases, Anderson said the orientation started at 7 a.m. and didn’t end until 9 p.m. Though political parties don’t always see eye-to-eye, Anderson said both the DFL and Republicans got along well during the orientation. He said the 24 legislature members will forever hold a unique bond of being the class of 2008.

However, when the freshman class officially takes office on Jan. 6, the legislators will have their work cut out for them as the state faces a significant budget shortfall. Despite the grim news, Anderson said the one positive is the numbers are so bleak, members of the legislature and the governor, will have to get together and make sacrifices across the board, to help get the state in the right financial direction.

A member of the minority party, Anderson said he will spend much of his first few months in the legislature learning the ropes and serving on one of the committees assigned to him by the DFL Party. While the controlling party assigns the people who serve on the committees, Anderson said he was able to choose up to five or six committees he wanted to join. His top three choices were E-12 Education, Agriculture Committee, and the Transportation Committee, three committees he said are important to rural Minnesota and will give him a hand in the needs of his constituents.

“I want to really work with everyone I can down there, and do what’s best for the people of my district,” said Anderson.

After taking office later this month, Anderson said he will live in an apartment in the cities Monday- Thursday and drive back for the weekends. Despite living in St. Paul during the week, Anderson said he plans to continue farming on the weekend. He has even enlisted the help of a fellow representative, District 22A Representative Doug Magnus, who is a farmer in rural Southwest Minnesota. While a bit of a challenge in the spring when legislature is still in session, Anderson was told weekend farming can be done.

Even before being elected this fall, Anderson had his first taste of weekend harvesting as an intense election campaign forced a late start to his harvest.

“I usually try to be done by the first of November,” he said. “Well this year, I hadn’t started at that time.”

After enlisting the help of his son Luke, who took a week of vacation to help with the harvest, Anderson finished all the fieldwork this fall just before the area was blanketed by snow. Following the election, he said his wife Faith spent two days picking up campaign signs left by the road. The move allowed Anderson to devote much of his time on the fall harvest, something that was difficult to do during the lengthy campaign.

Coming back to the area each weekend will also help Anderson keep a personable touch with his constituents, something he said was important to him.

“I’d like to stay in touch with the people back here,” he said. “I want to do what’s best for the people in our district.”

To help him keep tabs with what’s happening in the sprawling District 13A, Anderson subscribed to each newspaper serving communities in his district. He said the papers will help, “to keep up on what’s going on and happening in the district.” The idea was something Anderson’s predecessor Bud Heidgerken entertained during his time in office, and was one of the many lesson’s he taught the freshman representative over the past few months.

“I just want to thank Bud, he’s just been a very good teacher and mentor,” said Anderson. “I want to thank him for all he did and taught me.”

But Anderson said Heidgerken wasn’t the only one who helped him over the course of the election. He said he is thankful for all the kind words of encouragement from everyone during the election. Though he said the election can be overwhelming at times, all of the kind words he heard kept him going, and spirit up.

The kind words even continues today as Anderson said he has gotten approximately 50-60 letters and Christmas cards from different organizations and groups he will be representing, as well as countless congratulation cards in the days following his election.

While being elected as a state representative will open one political door for Anderson, the election closes another as he will soon resign from the Pope County Commission. For the person who will replace him on the county commissioner, Anderson said “just listen to all sides of an issue and do what’s best for the whole Pope County.”

Something he will try to do when he is sworn into office on Jan. 6.