I’m praying for Senator Anderson’s wife and the entire Anderson family. My heartfelt condolences go out to them. Bruce was a man deeply dedicated to his faith and to serving the people of his district and Minnesota with honor and integrity.

I first got to know Sen. Anderson when I interned for Rep. Sondra Erickson in the House in 2007. Several times that session, he approached me—a kid just out of high school—and struck up meaningful conversations. We talked politics and life. He shared about his first wife, who he had lost the year before, and I could tell how much she meant to him by the way he spoke about her. It was clear her loss had a big impact on him.

He was a staunch defender of faith, family, and freedom. He was friendly to everyone, from lawmakers to interns, and I’m honored to have been his friend and colleague.

The family has asked for privacy and will share a statement at a later time.

A summary of Senator Anderson’s public service career follows.

Bruce Anderson (R–Buffalo) began his legislative career in the Minnesota House in 1995, representing District 19B, and later District 19A through 2012. He was elected to the Minnesota Senate for District 29 in 2012 and served until his passing on July 21, 2025.

Throughout his tenure in the Legislature, Anderson has focused on key issues like agriculture, energy, rural economic development, broadband access, and public safety. He chaired the various Veterans’ committees in the House from 2011-2012 and again in the Senate from 2017 to 2020.

Before entering politics, Anderson served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and in the Minnesota Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force Reserves.