Referring to himself as “the political outsider” of the GOP party, Bob Anderson looks to the primaries as a chance “to support all Minnesotans” by running for U.S. Senate.

Anderson visited the Daily Herald newsroom on Tuesday afternoon to share his campaign platform and his ideas that he hopes to bring to the Capitol if elected into U.S. Senate. Although he did not win an endorsement from his party, Anderson expressed that he still intended to run in the primaries, and encouraged voters to come out on Aug. 14. He would be the second Republican—GOP Sen. Karin Housley is also seeking election— running for the U.S. Senate seat that’s currently held by Sen. Tina Smith DFL-St. Louis Park. Anderson is a dental technician from Hastings, and was an Independence Party congressional candidate in Minnesota’s 6th District in 2008 and 2010.

For his campaign trail, Anderson has been traveling in rural and Greater Minnesota, camping in state parks and visiting small towns. Anderson said he was an enthusiastic supporter of President Donald Trump and his “America First” initiative, and had joined the Republican Party during the 2016 election, stating that he liked Trump’s business sense and experience.

However, Anderson sought to appeal to voters from both ends of the political spectrum and said he wanted to serve “everyone.”

“I’m here to represent everyone,” he said. “Now I’m in it and I’m catching a lot of momentum. My issues are not partisan. This seat, I’m going to fight hard for it, and I’m going to the primary. I’m going to Washington to serve. ….I plan to lead by example.”

Here were several key highlights from Anderson’s platform:

Mental health

What prompted Anderson to jump into the political arena was his support for mental health awareness and care during the last 15 years.

He personally was treated for clinical depression in the past, and shared that his family had a history of being treated for mental health and wanted to break the stigma associated with mental health.

Since then, Anderson has volunteered for several organizations that dealt with suicide prevention, such as Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE). He also hosts a local cable access show called “Straight Talk” in Hastings, Minnesota, and hosted a cable access show called “Inside Mental Health Issues” to raise awareness of a national bill in Congress called The Mental Health Parity Act.

Health insurance premiums

Anderson expressed his intent in trying to decrease health insurance premiums, and that the Affordable Care Act had “many shortfalls.” He believes that Minnesotans should have a choice in private and or government-sponsored plans and backs competition.

He also stated that companies offering health insurance to their employees should receive tax benefits. That individuals should be able to qualify and purchase insuranceand receive a tax benefit for their premiums, and that states should be able to decide how to handle health insurance.

Anderson does support keeping MinnesotaCare and using it as a public option and making it available for full-time Minnesotans regardless of age, income or pre-existing condition.

“I’m here to serve all Minnesotans,” he added.

No pension, self-imposed term limits

If elected to the U.S. Senate, Anderson plans to not accept a pension from the federal government, emphasizing that he was not going to Washington D.C. for a political career, but working for Minnesotans.

He also planned to self-impose a two-year term limit on himself and believes it holds himself accountable and hopes that it’d set a precedent for other politicians to follow his example.

“I understand that we need to get these entrenched politicians out of there,” Anderson said. “This gives me an opportunity to prove that I am something different.”