Welcome to our Candidate Q&A page. Below are questions from voters and constituents along with Anna’s answers.
1. Why was it important to you to run for this position?
Running and serving in public office is not easy. It can be demanding and it feels like people are trusting government less and less. Political civility is at an all-time low, in my opinion. But this just means that we need to get more good, reasonable people to run and get involved!
Just like I did four years ago, I spent many hours praying and talking with my family about whether my running for the legislature was the right thing for our family. But I do believe that God gives each of us different gifts. God has blessed me with the ability to empathize with people and feel passionate about doing the right thing. I’m the product of where I came from (Pick City) and the house in which I grew up. My parents are Ken and Marilyn Garrett. My mother was an English teacher and my father was a coal miner turned excavation business owner once the Glen Herold Mine closed in the early 90’s.
I believe I have a unique voice that needs to continue being heard in the legislature. I’m one of a few women serving that has children still living at home and going to school. Things have changed a lot in the 12 years I’ve had kids in school, and they are much different than when I was growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, when many of the sitting legislators had kids in the school system. My husband and I are still in the workforce as well, so we understand the challenges of working while raising our family.
I’ve been recognized by the Greater Chamber of North Dakota as someone that is pro-business and I am proud of that distinction. I want to make sure that North Dakota has job opportunities that allow our kids the opportunity to stay here to raise their own families some day! North Dakota is a state that is “sneaky good”, which means that we fly under the radar. We are one of the safest states in the nation, the people living here are the salt of the earth and we are consistently ranked as one of the hardest working states in America. Those are all things we should be proud of and I want to make sure those traditions continue!
I’m a conservative while remaining very rational and reasonable. There are some issues that are definitely partisan and I will always vote according to my morals on those. But the vast majority of bills we vote on aren’t “republican” or “democrat” bills, despite what the fringes of both parties tell you. Many bills are simply a way to improve the lives of North Dakotans and that should always be our top priority, regardless of if it was introduced by a Republican or Democrat. We should be North Dakotan’s first!
2. What do you want to accomplish in the first year if you are elected?
If I’m elected again, this will be my second term in the legislature. I care about every bill because they matter to somebody I represent. But energy and education are the two main issues I focus on in the legislature. We need to ensure our fossil fuel industry and the jobs that go along with it are secure for many years to come. The fossil fuel industry brings in over 60% of our total state tax revenue, which pays for our roads, bridges, public schools, social services and the majority of everything else. Here in district 33, coal is responsible for something like 63% of all economic activity and I will always vote to protect that industry. In 2023, I introduced legislation that provided tax breaks to a new business that comes into the state to process critical and rare earth minerals from coal. I would like to introduce additional legislation to move the needle further next session. This is a unique opportunity, beyond electrical generation, to keep the coal industry relevant in the future.
I intend to introduce legislation that would offer incentives to counties that create “industrial energy parks” within the county. It would encourage counties to find an area that is good for industry, which would allow new business opportunities to take place while working WITH the counties on the right place for the new industry to be placed. Having a strong tax base is important in every county, but especially in rural North Dakota, where we struggle because there’s the lack of sales tax the urban areas enjoy. I think solutions can be found but industry and local government need to work together.
Education is another area I’m passionate about, probably because I have four kids in the public school system. There is a significant educational disparity between the urban and rural areas of the state. The big towns have many more course offerings, their kids get to learn in new and beautiful buildings, and they have access to career and technical schools as well as private schools. Some of that goes along with having a larger population but there should be more equity in education than there currently is. I plan to introduce legislation so our rural students have access to more AP and dual-credit courses. In addition, I’m working to expand career and technical education options for rural schools. Energy and agriculture are the largest industries in the state and they’re both located in rural North Dakota!
3. What do you feel are the top three issues that need to be addressed by the entity you are running for?
The top three issues we should focus on in the legislature are keeping our fossil fuel industry strong (including enhanced oil recovery), increasing educational opportunities for our children and reducing wasteful spending to lower taxes.
4. If you get elected, how do you plan to commit time to this position outside of meetings?
In North Dakota, we have a “citizen’s legislature”, which means we serve for a maximum of 80 days every other year and go back to our normal lives when not in session. It isn’t our full-time job like it is in many states, for which I’m thankful! I think it keeps us connected to our communities and helps us keep perspective of what matters to the people we represent. Most North Dakota legislators are retired, which makes serving easier for their schedules, but there are some legislators that are still working and raising our families. I believe everyone deserves a seat at the table because we all have unique voices that should be heard. But with that being said, time management can be a challenge to those of us that aren’t retired! I can’t make it to every community meeting, but thankfully many meetings are recorded and I’m able to listen later. I also connect with county commissioners and other leaders to know the issues at hand. Aside from these things, I’m very active in my kids’ school, our church and the greater community so I’m well-versed on what’s taking place within the district. It’s also worth mentioning that during the legislative session, I drive back and forth to Bismarck most days instead of staying overnight like most legislators do. It keeps me grounded and getting to see my husband and kids every night and every morning reminds me why I serve.
5. Why should people vote for you?
I believe I’m worth voting for because I’m a practical person and I want to represent the people of district 33 well. I want to know your opinions and stances on an issue. There are a handful of issues that I will vote with my conscience because I have to sleep at night. But I usually vote based on what my constituents want, especially on hot button issues. The seat I sit in is yours!
6. Is there anything else you’d like the community to know about you?
As mentioned above, my primary focuses in the legislature are energy and education. But I’m also very pro-life. I help organize a baby shower each year at our church for the Women’s Care Center, which is a pregnancy crisis center, in Bismarck. During the last legislative session, I also organized a baby shower for the Women’s Care Center for the Republican House Caucus. I want to make choosing life as easy as possible for women in a difficult situation, and ensuring the facility is funded properly and has items to help these women is one of the best ways for me to help with the cause.
I’m also extremely passionate about civics. America is the best country on the face of the earth, bar none! As a mother, I try to teach my kids about the importance of serving our communities and country daily. I believe it’s important for all North Dakota kids to respect our flag and the nation it represents. Because of this, in 2025 I prime-sponsored the bill to require all public schools to offer students the opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily. How that takes place at each school is decided locally. In Hazen, the Honor Society students take turns reciting it over the intercom at the start of the day. My oldest son is a part of the Honor Society and had his turn this spring. This was one of my very favorite bills to have introduced and I’m hopeful it helps create the next generation of patriots!
I’m originally from Pick City, went to school in Riverdale and then graduated from Hazen. I left the area for about 12 years while I went to college at the University of Mary and started my career, but I have spent the majority of my life in district 33. I care deeply about the people living here and want good things for the place that I also call home!
I received my bachelor’s degree in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations from the University of Mary. I work for a company named Focus Wealth in Beulah, where we do investments and retirement planning. I’m thankful to have such a great employer that gives me flexibility for my family in addition to allowing me the time away to serve my community in the legislature. My wonderful husband, Loren, works in the coal industry. We have four sons that are receiving a great education in Hazen. They are very active in sports, academics and in our church (Prince of Peace) in Beulah. I am also co-founder of the grassroots advocacy group Faces of North Dakota Coal.
Representing the people of District 33 in the legislature is one of the greatest honors of my life. Thank you!