ST. PETER — At just 24 years old, Andrew Davis is a veteran of two combat tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq, and has garnered national attention for his work with other veterans at the University of Minnesota.

That is why, despite his age, the U of M junior feels he is ready to jump into the political arena. Davis is the latest Republican to announce his candidacy for the state House of Representatives seat being vacated by the retiring Ruth Johnson, DFL-St. Peter.

Davis — who grew up in St. Peter but left at age 18 to become an Army Ranger — does not want his candidacy in District 23A defined by his military experience.

“Being in the military is not who I am, it’s part of who I am,” he said.

But Davis said that experience also gives him the “energy and motivation” to run for state office.

“I think it’s time for courage and leadership to return to politics, and if there’s anything the military gave me, it’s that,” he said. “I was able to lead under times of great duress and stress, and there’s nothing I don’t think I can accomplish.”

If elected, Davis would work to improve state assistance for veterans and the state’s technical school system. He would also encourage environmentally responsible agriculture and toughen punishments for sex offenders.

Davis plans to graduate from the U of M about this time next year. He lives in an apartment near the university campus, but said he is looking for a home in St. Peter.

While at the U of M, Davis co-founded the nonprofit Comfort for Courage, a group that helps returning veterans transition to college life.

He said many soldiers return from combat only to find they feel “alienated” from their peers. This contributes to a high college drop-out rate among veterans.

As a state representative, Davis would continue working for veterans by pushing for more state tuition assistance.

“Minnesota is a state that has been pretty underprepared for ... this large influx of veterans that will be coming back,” he said.

He said Minnesota does not provide veterans tuition assistance at the level of some other states, such as Illinois. Veterans also have a hard time transferring college credits earned in the military to Minnesota schools, he said.

“If we want to attract these great Americans who served their country back to Minnesota we need to compete with other states,” Davis said.

He also plans to turn his attention to another aspect of the state’s higher education system: technical schools.

Davis works as a military consultant to companies producing equipment used by soldiers in the field. He said many of the companies he works with are short of employees with the skill to operate a machine or design products using computer-assisted drafting technology.

As the representative of a rural area, Davis also would vote for legislation that promotes clean, sustainable farming practices.

“Farming is essential here in Minnesota; it’s a cornerstone of our society and our economy,” he said.

And he would join the chorus of legislators calling for tougher treatment of sex offenders.

“In my point of view, we tend to be pretty soft on a lot of criminals, especially sex offenders, which has caused some repeat (offenses) that maybe could be avoided,” he said.

Some may see Davis’ age as a liability in a campaign, but he views it as an asset.

“Politics shouldn’t be limited to just older people who have been around the block,” he said. “I’ve been around the block and I’m only 24.”