Yesterday I shared polling from Governor Doug Burgum’s not-yet-officially-announced re-election campaign showing the incumbent with a commanding lead in a hypothetical match-up with former Senator Heidi Heitkamp. Reacting to that poll later in the day, Heitkamp said that particular competition would remain strictly hypothetical. Heitkamp tells Bismarck Tribune she's not running for governor next year…
Plain Talk: North Dakota’s New ACLU Leader Says He’d Like to Find Common Ground With Conservatives, Burgum Pollster Talks 2020 Race
Can the ACLU, widely perceived as a left-wing organization, find common ground with conservatives in North Dakota? The new leader of the organization in the state, Dane DeKrey, says he’d like to try. Also Chip Englander, pollster for Governor Doug Burgum’s campaign, talks about the 2020 race. Use the links below to subscribe to the…
Burgum Polls Himself Against Heidi Heitkamp Ahead of 2020 Campaign
Governor Doug Burgum’s re-election campaign has been polling, and gave me exclusive access to the results. You can read their full polling memo below. There are a couple of things about this poll which are just as interesting as the actual numbers. First, there has been some whispers in state political circles that Burgum might…
Poll: Governor Doug Burgum Enjoys 60 Percent Favorable Rating, Has Support of a Plurality of Democrats
In polling from DFM Research (which I’ve written about earlier this week with regard to the Teddy Roosevelt library project and President Donald Trump), North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has a 60 percent approval rating. That’s about what you’d expect from a Republican governor in a Republican state, and it’s line with the numbers for…
Poll: North Dakotans Split on Supporting Roosevelt Library, Project Is Least Popular in Western North Dakota
Dean Mitchell of DFM Research is a friend of mine who also works as a political pollster. I’ve commissioned polling from him, and his worked for various groups and political candidates on both sides ideological spectrum. His work is well-regarded in North Dakota. Recently he shared with me some excerpts from polling he did in…
Guest Post: Ethics Commission Front-Runner Has Corporate Ties to Large State Government Contracts
This guest post was submitted by Dustin Gawrylow, executive director of the North Dakota Watchdog Network There has been a lot of debate over the Ethics Commission that is currently being created in North Dakota as a result of the passage of the Measure #1 in 2018. Sixty-eight North Dakotans (including this writer) applied for positions…
Is the Bizarre Political Situation in Alaska a Sign of Things to Come in North Dakota?
There are strange things happening in the State of Alaska. “A deep divide over budget cuts in Alaska has become so acrimonious that two feuding factions of legislators cannot even agree on where they are supposed to meet, the latest twist in what may be the nation’s oddest political climate,” The Hill reports. Republican Governor…
Lots of Eggs for Lots of Faces as Lawmakers Say They’ll Abandon Attacks on State Auditor’s Powers
Earlier this week state Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem issued an opinion stating that legislation passed earlier this year to limit the powers of the state Auditor would likely be found to be unconstitutional if it were challenged in court. Now at least one legislative leader – Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, a Republican from Dickinson…
Tax Incentive Handouts Aren’t the Only Way to Promote Denser, Downtown Development
Over the weekend the Fargo Forum editorial board took aim at critics of development incentive programs like Renaissance Zones and tax increment finance districts. “[B]ecause tax benefits go to selected businesses, some people just can’t see the big picture. The Renaissance Zone and tax-increment financing district program, another tax forgiveness program to develop property, are controversial.…
Attorney General: Legislature’s Limits on Auditor’s Authority Are Likely Unconstitutional
Earlier this year state lawmakers inserted last-minute language into the budget for the State Auditor’s Office which requires that the state Auditor come begging to the Legislature for permission to perform audits. That’s created a lot of controversy, including an effort to collect signatures to refer the legislation to the ballot box. Our current Auditor…