BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong emerged victorious in the Republican primary for governor of North Dakota on Tuesday. Meanwhile, longtime public utilities regulator Julie Fedorchak secured the top spot in a lively GOP race for the House seat he will be leaving. Both candidates are well-positioned for the November general election in the conservative state.
Armstrong, the current holder of North Dakota’s single House seat, defeated Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller in the race to replace Republican Gov. Doug Burgum, who opted not to run for a third term and is being considered as a potential vice presidential running mate for former President Donald Trump.
“We’ve never taken anything for granted in this race. We never take our supporters for granted,” Armstrong stated. “We never take North Dakota for granted, and we’re really excited, and we’re excited to move to the next step.”
In a five-way contest, Fedorchak triumphed over a range of candidates, from seasoned officeholders to lesser-known contenders. If successful in the general election, she would become the first woman to represent North Dakota in the House.
Also on Tuesday, voters approved a significant initiative that would prevent individuals who turn 81 years old during their term from running or serving in the U.S. House or Senate.
The GOP primaries are crucial in North Dakota, where Democrats have not won a statewide race since 2012, and Republicans have held the governor’s office since 1992. Some legislative races only featured GOP candidates this year, and two GOP state officeholders ran unopposed.
Armstrong, an attorney and former state senator currently serving his third term in the House, received endorsements from both the state party and Trump. Miller, who did not attend the GOP convention, had Burgum’s endorsement.
Armstrong mentioned that he plans to return to Washington on Wednesday morning, but his campaign will quickly refocus on the general election. He will go up against Democratic state Sen. Merrill Piepkorn, the unopposed winner of his party’s primary.
Independent Michael Coachman, who previously attempted unsuccessfully to launch a Burgum recall, is also running for governor. However, he was not on the ballot on Tuesday and has yet to submit signatures for the November election.
The next governor will take office in mid-December, just before the start of the biennial legislative session. The newly elected governor will face the challenge of balancing priorities, expenditures, and tax reductions at a time of healthy state finances, while also considering property tax reform, according to Jim Poolman, a former Republican state insurance commissioner, lawmaker, and party official.
In the House primary won by Fedorchak, various other Republican contenders participated, including military veteran and former U.S. State Department employee Alex Balazs; plastic surgeon and former state Rep. Rick Becker; Williston resident Sharlet Mohr; and Cara Mund, an attorney and former Miss America who ran unsuccessfully as an independent in 2022.
Fedorchak will compete against military veteran Trygve Hammer, who won the Democratic primary over Roland Riemers, in the general election.
On Tuesday, Fedorchak criticized text messages sent to some phones, falsely stating that she was dropping out, calling them “at minimum election fraud” and stating that her campaign will file a complaint. The extent of the dissemination of these messages is unclear. Secretary of State Michael Howe described the messages as misleading and untruthful after receiving inquiries from several county auditors.
Balazs, Becker, and Mohr all denied involvement in the messages, while Mund, in a Facebook post, stated that she did not authorize anyone to “spam” cellphones. A spokeswoman for the state Democratic-NPL Party also condemned the messages.
The House campaign was characterized by harsh, negative advertisements, with candidates trying to outdo each other in demonstrating their support for former President Trump, according to Earl Pomeroy, a Democrat who held the seat from 1993 to 2011.
The ballot measure establishing an age limit for members of Congress is intended to prevent age-related and cognitive issues in officeholders, according to supporters.
Legally, the measure is seen by some experts as an opportunity to revisit a 1995 U.S. Supreme Court decision that rejected congressional term limits. The measure has been estimated to cost $1 million by a state legislative panel, anticipating a lengthy legal challenge.
Republican U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, who faced no primary challenge in his reelection bid, opposed the measure, arguing that voters should have the freedom to choose whomever they desire.
“To arbitrarily restrict those choices just doesn’t make sense to me,” Cramer remarked.
Despite the consequential nature of the primaries, voter turnout historically remains low in North Dakota, ranging between 17% and 27% of eligible voters from 2014 to 2022.
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