Longtime South Dakota lawmaker Rep. Gordon R. Pederson, R-Wall, has announced that he will run for the District 30 Senate seat.

Pederson, who is term-limited in the House, said his wealth of experience would be a valuable commodity in a Legislature that will see 31 new members in the House and 15 new members in the Senate. He noted his past record of mentoring many freshman lawmakers.

District 30 covers Custer, Fall River and rural Pennington counties.

According to Pederson, the key issues facing District 30 voters remain K-12 education, taxes and transportation funding, as well as statewide issues such as economic growth, health insurance and the ability to provide adequate health care.

A member of committees within the National Council of State Legislatures, Council of State Government and American Legislative Exchange Council, Pederson received two awards this past session including Legislator of the Year by the South Dakota American Legion and the Highway Guardian Award, presented by the South Dakota Highway Users Conference.

Pederson and his wife, Betty, live in Wall and have four grown children. He was raised on a ranch in Pennington County, retired as an infantry officer, and has had two businesses in the Wall area.