According to a release from Secretary of State Al Jaeger’s office, today the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay of a previous ruling in a lawsuit challenging North Dakota’s voter identification law. Previously the federal courts had ruled that North Dakota’s law, which said that only ID’s could be used to vote, couldn’t…
Poll: The Only Competitive Candidate North Dakota Democrats Have on the Statewide Ballot Is Heidi Heitkamp
Earlier this week we got polling from Mason-Dixon, a well-respected polling firm retained by Fargo-based TV station Valley News Live, which showed Congressman Kevin Cramer with a small four-point lead over Senate incumbent Heidi Heitkamp. In an average of the three publicly-released public opinion polls dating back to February Cramer also leads Heitkamp, albeit by…
Will Gardner Submits Letter to the Secretary of State Declining Primary Nomination
Yesterday I wrote about the potential for a political headache for Republicans in the Secretary of State race if Will Gardner, who dropped out of the race earlier this year amid scandal but couldn’t by law be removed from the primary ballot, didn’t decline the nomination he won by running unopposed. Last night a NDGOP…
When Will Gardner Decline the Secretary of State Nomination?
Last night Will Gardner won the Republican Secretary of State nomination with over 54,000 votes. This despite Gardner withdrawing earlier this year amid scandal related to a 2006 disorderly conduct conviction for peeping on college girls in their dorms at North Dakota State University with his pants undone. Absent some action from Gardner his name…
Group That Describes Voter ID Laws as “Suppression” Endorses Secretary of State Candidate Josh Boschee
A left wing 527 group called Let America Vote has endorsed Democratic Secretary of State candidate Josh Boschee. “Josh Boschee is one of North Dakota’s strongest advocates for voting rights and he’ll be an outstanding secretary of state,” the group’s president Jason Kander said in a statement (see below). “Josh believes in removing barriers to the…
Podcast: “Why Would You Want the Republican Wannabe When You Can Have the Republican?”
“It had nothing to do with complaining about President Trump,” Congressman Kevin Cramer told me today of a recent visit with the Trump administration. That visit has been characterized by some media reports (which, in turn, were hyped by Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s campaign) as a gripe session from Cramer who is supposedly upset about the…
Podcast: Jaeger Talks About Re-Entering Secretary of State Race After Gardner Campaign Implodes
“When that news broke it changed everything.” That’s what incumbent Secretary of State Al Jaeger told me on my radio show today. He was referring to news that erstwhile Republican Secretary of State candidate Will Gardner, who had defeated Jaeger for the NDGOP’s endorsement earlier this month, was stopping his campaign amid scandal. Jaeger said…
Podcast: NDGOP Chairman Says “Party Will Take a Look At” Background Checks for Candidates
Over the weekend Republican Secretary of State candidate Will Gardner ended his campaign after a bombshell report in the Fargo Forum detailing a disorderly conduct conviction for some very creepy behavior on the NDSU campus back in 2006. That put the NDGOP in an awkward position. As it stands now they have no official candidate…
After Gardner Withdraws, Incumbent Secretary of State Al Jaeger Announces Run as an Independent
UPDATE: The Grand Forks Herald confirms that Jaeger is running as an independent. I just finished a radio interview with North Dakota Republican Party chairman Rick Berg and we spoke about the situation with former Secretary of State candidate Will Gardner from this weekend. Gardner withdrew from the race after a 2006 conviction for window…
The NDGOP Cannot Stand Behind a Convicted Peeping Tom
UPDATE: Gardner has withdrawn from the race, though as I note below I don’t believe he can get his name off of the primary ballot at this time. The Grand Forks Herald has more, including comments from incumbent Jaeger. Earlier this year Mandan businessman Will Gardner won the Secretary of State race endorsement of the…