He served on the Abbeville City Council in 1952[1] and was a member of the class of 1953 at Erskine College.

Lander left Erskine without graduating to serve in the South Carolina Army National Guard (SCANG).

[3] Lander ran for the 40th district seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1988, challenging incumbent Dave Waldrop Jr. in the Democratic Party primary election.

[6] After Thomas H. Pope announced he would not seek reelection for the District 18 seat in the South Carolina Senate in the 1992 elections, Lander declared his candidacy to succeed him.

[9] In 1998, Lander ran for Comptroller General of South Carolina, as the incumbent, Earle Morris Jr., opted to retire.