69����

Anderson, 28, unsuccessfully ran for the Assembly in 2016 against Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, in the neighboring 31st Assembly District. Since then, Anderson has served on the Beloit City Council, where he said he learned the many intricacies of local government while building strong community ties.

“When I first ran, I was a college student that didn’t know how a government functioned, and now I have an appreciation for how important it is,” Anderson said. “I see how much we can’t get done at the local level because of state involvement. What’s good for Madison isn’t necessarily good for Beloit or Evansville. Cookie-cutter policies hurt the unique needs of different communities.”

Aside from focusing on local control issues, Anderson said he also would pursue fully funding education in Wisconsin and accepting the Medicare expansion under the Affordable Care Act, two key planks carried by Democratic legislative leaders in Madison for quite some time.

Anderson’s campaign announcement comes on the heels of Sen. Janis Ringhand, D-Evansville, announcing she will not seek reelection for her Senate District 15 seat and the subsequent decision of current 45th District Rep. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit, to run for that seat.

“I would like to thank Rep. Spreitzer for the impactful work he has done during his years in the Assembly,” Anderson said. “He has been a role model for me, and it is a privilege to run for his seat. I wish him the best of luck in his bid for the state Senate.”

The 45th district includes the city of Beloit, western and southern portions of Rock County including Evansville and Orfordville, and eastern portions of Green County including Brodhead and Albany.

Anderson currently works as a youth support specialist at Professional Services Group in Janesville. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UW-Whitewater.