A second Republican candidate has filed to run for the office of Cole County associate circuit judge.
Tim Anderson filed Monday to run for the job Judge Tom Sodergren will retire from.
Anderson said in his campaign announcement that Sodergren's decision to retire caused him to reconsider his plans for his future.
"Based on almost 30 years experience as an assistant attorney general for the state, I believe I have developed and displayed the character, temperament, knowledge and common sense required to be a solid associate circuit judge," Anderson said. "In my travels across Missouri, I appeared before literally hundreds of judges in both federal and state courts and at the trial and appellate levels. I have prosecuted numerous cases including murder, assault, sexual assault of a child and various drug-related cases. I have represented and defended members of the Missouri Highway Patrol and other public safety agencies."
Anderson also has taught new law officers at the Highway Patrol Academy and Missouri Department of Conservation on subjects such as criminal law and arrest, search and seizure. More recently, he taught students at Lincoln University as an adjunct professor in the criminal justice department on courses dealing with the U.S. Constitution as well as on the courts and prisons.
"These experiences have all, I believe, prepared me for the challenges of the position of associate circuit judge," he said.
Late last year, Jefferson City Municipal Judge Cotton Walker announced he was running for the judge's seat as a Republican, and earlier this month Gaylin Rich Carver announced she would run for the office as a Democrat.
Today is the last day to file for county and statewide offices. The primary election is in August, and the general election is in November.