Fred Anderson (Montana politician)

Fred Anderson (born July 16, 1944) is an American educator and politician. He serves as a Republican member of the Montana House of Representatives, where he represents District 20, including parts of Great Falls, Montana.[1][2][3]

Fred Anderson
Member of the Montana House of Representatives
from the 20th district
Assumed office
January 2, 2017
Preceded bySteve Fitzpatrick
Personal details
Born (1944-07-16) July 16, 1944 (age 80)
Bozeman, Montana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseVicky Anderson
Children3
Residence(s)Great Falls, Montana, U.S.
EducationNorthern Montana College (BS)
Colorado State University (MA, PhD)
WebsiteCampaign website
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service Montana Army National Guard

Early life

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On July 16, 1944, Anderson was born in Bozeman, Montana.[4]

Education

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In 1967, Anderson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in broadfield science with minors in chemistry and automotive technology from Northern Montana College. In 1979, Anderson earned a MEd in Vocational Administration from Colorado State University. In 1980, Anderson earned a PhD in Administration and Supervision from Colorado State University.[5][4]

Career

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In military, Anderson served in the Montana Army National Guard.[5]

Anderson is a cattle rancher in Montana.[6]

In 1968, Anderson became a teacher at Miles Community College, until 1978. In 1979, Anderson became an Assistant Principal in Miles City, Montana. In 1982, Anderson became a Principal in Great Falls, Montana.[5][4]

In 2014, Anderson ran for election to represent the 24th district, but lost the general election to Democrat Jean Price by 23 votes.

On November 8, 2016, Anderson won the election and became a Republican member of Montana House of Representatives for District 20. Anderson defeated Amy Rapp with 71.03% of the votes.[7][5]

On November 6, 2018, as an incumbent, Anderson won the election and continued serving District 20. Anderson defeated Keaton Sunchild with 68.48% of the votes.[8][9]

While Anderson was a Principal of Custer County District High School from 1982-2002, James Jensen, an athletic trainer, was allegedly sexually abused students there. In 2019, Anderson faced pressure from a county Republican leader to resign from his legislative position.[10][11]

Awards

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  • 2019 Champion of Business award. Presented by Montana Chamber of Commerce.[12]
  • 2019 Silver Windmill award. Presented by Montana Farm Bureau.[13]

Election history

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2014

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2014 general election: Montana House of Representatives, District 24[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jean Price 1,577 50.4%
Republican Fred Anderson 1,554 49.6%

2016

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2016 Republican primary: Montana House of Representatives, District 20[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Fred Anderson 1,386 57.46%
Republican Sheridan Buck 1,026 42.54%
2016 general election: Montana House of Representatives, District 20[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Fred Anderson 3,985 71.03%
Democratic Amy Rapp 1,625 28.97%

2018

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2018 general election: Montana House of Representatives, District 20[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Fred Anderson 3,826 68.5%
Democratic Keaton Sunchild 1,761 31.5%

Personal life

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Anderson's wife is Vicky Anderson. They have 3 children. Anderson and his family live in Great Falls, Montana.[4]

In 2018, Anderson underwent a kidney transplant in Arizona. Anderson received a kidney from Jim Ross, a former U.S. Navy pilot and a friend.[6][14]

References

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  1. ^ "Copper Book: Lawmakers of Montana, Legislative Session of 2021". Montana State Legislature. Montana Legislative Services Division. p. 31. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Name : FRED ANDERSON (R)". The Montana Legislature. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Fred Anderson". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d "Fred Anderson's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d "House District 20: Anderson, Buck". greatfallstribune.com. May 9, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Drake, Phil (October 9, 2018). "Backstrom to Hall of Fame Kidney transplant for Montana lawmaker a tale of friendship". greatfallstribune.com. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  7. ^ "MT State House 020". ourcampaigns.com. November 8, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  8. ^ "MT State House 020". ourcampaigns.com. November 6, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  9. ^ "Candidate Profile: Fred Anderson (R) House District 20". ecitybeat.com. May 2, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  10. ^ "Former CCDHS principal pressured to resign from legislature over Jensen case". Miles City Star. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Tuesday's Quick Hits: Kavanaugh, Anderson, Woods, & Memories". thewesternword.com. September 25, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  12. ^ "Krautter Receives Champion Of Business Award". roundupweb.com. July 31, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  13. ^ "Ag-friendly legislators receive awards". Montana Farm Bureau Spokesman. Montana Farm Bureau Federation. Summer 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  14. ^ Sparks, Dana (September 16, 2020). "Sharing Mayo Clinic: A new kidney with a little help from his friends". mayoclinic.org. Retrieved August 8, 2020.