Torstein Rudihagen is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party

Norwegian Labour Party

The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....

.

In his early career, he worked as a teacher. He began his political career in the municipality council of Sør-Fron, to which he was elected in 1983. He later became mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

, a seat he filled from 1991 to 1997. On March 3, 1995, he was appointed State Secretary in the Ministry of Transport

Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications

The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Transportation and Communications is a Norwegian ministry established in 1946, and is responsible for transportation and communication infrastructure in Norway. It is led by Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa...

, under the third cabinet Brundtland

Third cabinet Brundtland

Brundtland's Third Cabinet was a minority, Labour Government of Norway. It succeeded the Conservative/Centre/Christian Democrat Cabinet Syse, and sat between 3 November 1990 and 24 October 1996. It was replaced by the Labour Cabinet Jagland. The cabinet was active during two parliaments, both...

. When Brundtland resigned and Thorbjørn Jagland

Thorbjørn Jagland

is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party, currently serving as the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe...

 formed a new government, Rudihagen retained his job as State Secretary. However, he lost the job when the cabinet Jagland

Cabinet Jagland

Jagland's Cabinet governed Norway between October 25, 1996 and October 17, 1997. It had the following composition:-Cabinet members:-References:* - Regjeringen.no...

 fell in 1997.

In the election of 1997

Norwegian parliamentary election, 1997

A general election to the Storting, the parliament of Norway, was held on 15 September 1997. Before the election, Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland of the Labour Party, issued the 36.9 ultimatum declaring that the government would step down unless it gained 36.9% of the vote, the percentage gained...

, he was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from his home county of Oppland

Oppland

is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....

. He has been re-elected on two occasions.