He started his political career in 1987 as an Oppegård municipal councillor for the Progress Party, and became the leader of the local chapter in 1995.
The party was founded by Oddbjørn Jonstad, the former chairman of the Oppegård chapter of the Progress Party, who was suspended from the party following his proposal to put refugees and asylum seekers in state-owned camps, and to deny children of refugees from attending Norwegian schools.