To fulfill the duties of the full-time position, Anderson will soon give up his Senate seat, which will trigger a special election for the GOP-leaning District 3. He also has stepped down as a staffer for U.S. Rep Steve King, R-Iowa.

An Iowa Secretary of State official on Wednesday said the office knows Anderson is resigning, but the special election can't be set until he does. Once that happens, the state office will set the special election date, most likely in December.

Anderson said he hopes the election will be held in time for a new senator to be seated prior to the start of the 2018 legislative session in January.

The winner of the special election would serve the remainder of Anderson's four-year term, which runs through 2018. The new senator also likely would also have a leg up on other potential candidates who would run for the seat in the June primary and November general elections.

Roger Wendt, who died in 2011 at age 77, served in the Iowa House for 10 years, through 2010, and was previously a Sioux City school administrator.

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