Longtime Republican Minnesota Sen. Bruce Anderson passed away unexpectedly late last month at the age of 75, according to a statement from his Republican colleagues.
A U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Vietnam War, Anderson dedicated over three decades to public service in the state Legislature. He was first elected to the Minnesota House in 1994 and later won a seat in the Senate in 2012.
Anderson represented Wright County along with parts of neighboring Hennepin and Meeker counties, CBS News reported.
“I’m saddened to learn Senator Bruce Anderson passed unexpectedly today. Bruce was a dedicated public servant, loving family man, and dear friend to many at the Capitol and in Buffalo,” said Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, in a statement. “We offer our condolences and prayers for comfort for the entire Anderson family.”
Anderson and his wife, Ruth, resided in Buffalo and shared a family of eight children and 14 grandchildren, according to a spokesperson for Senate Republicans cited by CBS.
During his tenure at the State Capitol, Anderson concentrated on key issues including agriculture, veterans’ affairs, broadband access, and public safety, the outlet reported.
Senate Democrats expressed their sorrow at Bruce Anderson’s passing, calling it “a sad loss for the Senate.” Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (D) and Senator Aric Putnam praised Anderson’s military service and agricultural background, noting that it made him “a great champion for farmers, veterans, and service members at the Capitol.”
“I served with Bruce in both the House and Senate and will fondly remember him for the way he approached this work and treated his colleagues,” said Murphy. “He was a decent, kind colleague and a dedicated family man, and I feel fortunate to have known and worked with him.”
After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and later went on to serve in both the Minnesota Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Anderson was raised on a dairy farm in rural Minnesota, CBS noted.
Former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, a Republican whom Anderson succeeded in the Senate, described him in a social media post as both a mentor and a friend.
She praised his ability to “change hearts and minds through hard work and lots of conversation” in a district that was once considered a DFL stronghold.
At some point, Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) will call a special election to fill his seat as well as that of former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman’s seat after she and her husband were fatally shot in a politically motivated attack last month.
Meanwhile, another Minnesota state senator, Democratic Farm Labor Party member Nicole Mitchell, was convicted of felony burglary late last month, more than a year after she was caught breaking into her stepmother’s home.
Mitchell had faced bipartisan calls to resign following her arrest, though some defended her right to due process. She faces anywhere from a minimum of six months to a maximum of 20 years behind bars, Fox News reported.
“Senator Mitchell has been afforded due process, a trial by a jury of her peers, and that jury has delivered a verdict. I am relieved to see the end of Senator Mitchell’s trial. The case’s resolution brings clarity to the situation,” Murphy said in a statement issued by the DFL after the verdict.
“Senator Mitchell has told colleagues that she intended to resign if found guilty of this crime, and I expect her to follow through on that pledge. Our caucus remains focused on the issues that matter to Minnesotan families and communities,” Murphy added.
Mitchell was arrested in April 2024 after breaking into her stepmother’s home. Mitchell claimed she entered the residence to retrieve belongings that had belonged to her late father, and said her stepmother, Carol Mitchell, was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.