Despite it being a terrible (and blatantly unconstitutional, in many regards) proposal, North Dakota voters approved Measure 1 in the election last week. I believe the measure should be immediately challenged in court, but probably before that can happen the Legislature has some work to do. Because in many areas the ballot measure’s language requires…
Al Carlson’s Replacement as House Majority Leader Won by Promising to Keep Everything the Same
Last night the Republican caucus in the North Dakota House of Representatives picked their new majority leader. The press release is below, but Rep. Chet Pollert of Carrington won the three-way competition over Rep. Mike Nathe of Bismarck and Rep. Dan Ruby of Minot. The result is a bit of a surprise. Heading into the…
The Heitkamps Think They’re Entitled to Deference, and That’s Exactly Why They Shouldn’t Hold Power
If Senator Heidi Heitkamp had won re-election last week and some Republican took to the internet to complain about how Kevin Cramer might have won instead had the incumbent reined in her talk radio host brother I think Democrats would have had a good laugh. As well they should. Whining about that sort of thing…
North Dakota Voters Are Very Forgiving of Politicians Who Struggle With Alcohol
Here’s a wild story out of Walsh County (a rural community north of Grand Forks). Shortly before election day, on November 2nd, Walsh County Commissioner Ernest George Barta was arrested for DUI and leaving the scene of an accident. The details: The Record reports that officers had been on the lookout for a vehicle that…
We Should Pay More Attention to Local Journalists, and Less to National Media Outlets
Conservative columnist Eric Erickson makes an insightful point in this piece where he argues, using the Georgia gubernatorial race as a starting point, that local journalists are better at getting stories right than national journalists. I work for a local media company, which employs a lot of local journalists, so maybe I’m just biased in…
Let’s All Be Glad This Is Al Jaeger’s Last Term
Secretary of State Al Jaeger survived what was a roller coaster election and will continue in the office he’s held since the early 1990’s for four more years. He’s now saying this will definitely be his last term. “I feel so blessed,” he told Patrick Springer. “This will be my last term,” he added. Jaeger…
Despite Claims of Voter Suppression, North Dakota’s Native Americans Got Out the Vote in a Big Away
In what I consider to have been a partisan, cynical ploy to drive turnout, Democrats and left wing activist groups spent the last several weeks of the election cycle here in North Dakota claiming that our state’s voter ID laws were calculated to suppress Native American votes. The problem? There’s no evidence this happened. I…
Election Predictions: How Will North Dakota’s Ballots Be Cast?
Election day is finally here. It’s like the Super Bowl for we political nerds. Yesterday I was talking on the radio about how this is the 30th election day since I started this blog (counting primary and general elections). I feel old. So, so old. Anyway, it wouldn’t be election day without a predictions post.…
A pile of soybeans in Casselton has been used in campaign messaging and media reports critical of President Donald Trump's trade policies, but the owner of the pile says they had a similar sight on their grounds last year before Trump's policies. Via Facebook
New York Times Uses Same Misleading Photo of Soybean Pile the Heitkamp Campaign Got Caught Using
Farm state Democrats like Senator Heidi Heitkamp have attacking President Donald Trump’s trade policies, arguing they’ve been bad for the agriculture industry. Which is fair. We can debate the point, but promoting contrasting views on important policies like trade tariffs is exactly what campaigns should be about (and aren’t nearly about enough). Still, a specific…
Despite National Media Narrative, Native American Voting in North Dakota Is Likely to Break Records
“North Dakota’s Native Americans say new law blocks much of population’s right to vote,” a headline from ABC news states. But this doesn’t quite jibe with reality. Far from votes being suppressed, we seem to be on track to set records for turnout in our state’s Native American communities. But don’t take my word for…