Party conventions open in North Dakota with GOP divided and Democrats searching for candidates

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — As North Dakota’s Republican and Democratic parties gather for endorsing conventions this week, they face very different challenges.

For Republicans, it’s a question of whether top candidates will keep seeking the party’s endorsement. For Democrats, it’s an even tougher question of whether there will be a full slate of candidates to endorse.

The state’s dominant Republican Party is divided, and the once-mighty Democrats haven’t won a statewide office in over a decade and were still lacking candidates days ahead of their convention.

The state’s lone U.S. House member, Kelly Armstrong, is seeking the GOP endorsement for governor — a political prize past candidates have fought for vigorously. But the other Republican running for governor, Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller, said she won’t attend the convention and will run in the June primary election for voters to decide the nominee. And in the race for the state’s only U.S. House seat, Republican candidates have eyed the primary, as well.

The conventions’ endorsements are set for Friday and Saturday in Fargo.

Past candidates have skipped the convention or ignored its results and gone on to win the primary. But the endorsement isn’t to be discounted, according to Bob Harms, a longtime party member and a delegate in every convention since 1988, but for this year.

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“The party endorsement has less value now than it did 10 years ago, but it’s not without value, and I think it does things for the endorsed candidate that the non-endorsed candidate doesn’t have, if you will, going into the primary: the party machinery, the party brand, and the opportunity to influence 1,500, 2,000 active Republicans who are going to go home and talk about what they heard and their impressions of that candidate,” Harms said.

Moreover, the Republican Party in North Dakota is divided between Trump-aligned conservatives and longtime, establishment Republicans. The former have gone so far as to censure or challenge entrenched incumbents in their legislative districts.

State GOP chair Sandi Sanford attributed “human nature” to the intraparty disagreements, and said the divisions are not unique to North Dakota. She expressed disappointment with “anybody bypassing the convention.”

“I tell you what, the party has to give every candidate the reasons of why they need to seek our endorsement. We need to stay relevant and valid,” Sanford said.

At the convention, Republicans will also take up 15 resolutions, including one “establishing equal protection for the unborn,” stating, “anyone who kills a pre-born human being is legally answerable for the crime.” Another resolution opposes the addition of sexual orientation and gender identity as legally protected classes.

Harms said he hopes most of the resolutions aren’t approved, saying that they continue a divisiveness he called unhealthy for the GOP, and that they are not reflective of all Republicans. Sanford said the resolutions are “position statements” and “certainly not laws.” She said it’s up to the convention to decide on the resolutions.

Meanwhile, Democrats face headwinds in deep-red North Dakota. Republicans hold all statewide offices and congressional seats and control the Legislature. A Democrat hasn’t won a statewide office since 2012. The party’s candidates in the 2022 general election failed to clinch even 30% of the statewide vote.

Democratic-NPL Party Chair Adam Goldwyn expects “a pretty full slate of statewide candidates.” The party on Thursday had only three announced candidates for eight statewide elected positions. Goldwyn expected more candidates to emerge or be nominated at the convention. Monday is the filing deadline for the June election.

Goldwyn said Democratic policies have appeal, but he cited “the national media landscape” for turning people against the party. He called the governor’s race one to watch, and sees good prospects in legislative races due to dissatisfaction with Republicans’ policies and ethics.

Former Republican U.S. Rep. Denver Riggleman, who worked for the Jan. 6 House committee, will speak at the Democrats’ convention.

“We wanted to show people from across the state that we are not ideologically defined and everyone’s welcome in our party,” Goldwyn said.

Sanford expects about 1,700 delegates for the Republican convention. Goldwyn said 380 delegates have registered for the Democratic convention.