Esau represented the old District 18A and, later, 28A, which included all or portions of
Brown,
Cottonwood,
Jackson,
Murray and
Redwood counties, changing somewhat after the 1972 legislative
redistricting. He was, along with senators
Dennis Frederickson,
Earl Renneke and
Jim Vickerman, and representatives
Aubrey Dirlam,
George Mann,
Henry Kalis and
Wendell Erickson, one of the longest-serving legislators from southern Minnesota in the state's history. While in the legislature, Esau earned a reputation as a strong advocate for
farmers, and as a leader on issues relevant to
criminal justice and
education. He allied with the
Conservative Caucus at a time when the legislature was still officially
nonpartisan, and later identified as a
Republican when party affiliation became required of candidates. Esau served on the House Agriculture, Criminal Justice, Education, General Legislation, Health & Welfare, Transportation and Veterans & Military Affairs committees, and on various other committee incarnations and subcommittees during his nearly 20 years in office. ==Active retirement==