State Rep. Glenn Anderson is stepping down from the Legislature this year, but not from politics. The Fall City Republican announced Thursday that he will run for Lieutenant Governor in the November 2012 elections.

“We all know that our nation and state face exceptionally challenging circumstances. This situation requires very hard work and creativity to recapture the American Dream in Washington,” Anderson said in a press release. “Olympia must step out of its comfort zone of bending to organized special interests – of both the left and the right – to empower the greater, common good.”

Anderson noted that Lt. Gov. Brad Owen has served 16 consecutive years, and is seeking re-election to a fifth term.

“What will the citizens of the state get in the next four years that they failed to achieve in the last 16 from the incumbent?”

Anderson said his campaign will focus on re-energizing the Lieutenant Governor’s office as a force for thoughtful independent thinking and advocacy in solving the problems facing our state.

“When traveling around our state the number-one concern I hear from citizens is their frustration,” Anderson said. “They say ‘How do we restart our future and what are we trying to achieve?’”

Anderson said his campaign will emphasize four major themes:

1. Enabling individual prosperity and aggressively encouraging the creation of new, family-wage, private sector jobs.

2. Investing in children’s future and assuring that K-12 schools, colleges and universities are adequately funded – and held accountable for results.

3. Rebuilding social the services safety net to assure it provides a hand-up to opportunity and achievement while honoring human dignity, not dependency, on government.

4. Demanding state government live within the taxpayers’ means to provide essential services.

In the Legislature, Glenn has been involved in K-12 and higher education performance and reforms, as well as state budget issues.

Anderson is in his 12th year as a representative in the 5th Legislative District.