Prior to serving as a member of the Idaho Senate, Brandt was mayor of Kooskia. Brandt was elected to the Senate in 2000 and assumed office in 2001, succeeding
Marguerite McLaughlin. He served until 2006 and was succeeded by
Leland G. Heinrich. During his tenure in the Senate, Brandt served as chair of the Health and Welfare Committee his second term and chair of the Transportation Committee during his third term. In addition to his career in politics, Brandt owns and operates a hardware store. In March 2020, Brandt was appointed to the Western Interstate Region Board. He has served as a member of the Idaho County Commission since 2007. During the
2016 United States Senate election in Idaho, Brandt served as incumbent Senator
Mike Crapo's
Idaho County campaign chair. Brandt was the first Idaho elected official to endorse and support
Donald Trump during the
2016 Republican Party presidential primaries served as a delegate to the
2016 Republican National Convention. In the
2020 election, Brandt was nominated to serve as a Trump delegate to the
2020 Republican National Convention. == References ==