Something took place at the recent NDGOP State Convention that may well be historic. Doug Burgum, John Hoeven, Kevin Cramer, and Kelly Armstrong all fell short on votes to become delegates to the Republican National Convention. When was the last time you heard of our sitting governor, U.S. Senators, and U.S. Congressman being sent as alternates to their party’s national convention? I’m guessing this has never happened before.
As a result of their not being elected as delegates, each of them fell into the category of alternates. While state party rules mandates that each of these officeholders receive automatic nominations, they are still required to stand for election. And that’s as it should be.
In addition to their automatic nominations, the NDGOP Committee on Permanent Organization had also recommended these individuals for election, but a majority of delegates — largely consisting of grassroots activists — wanted to send a different message. And it came through loud and clear— being an elected official doesn’t equate to entitlement. And so, they were left on the outside looking in.
At the district level, many — if not most — districts include provisions in their bylaws that give their legislators automatic delegate spots to the state convention. I think this is a mistake. Why shouldn’t state lawmakers stand for election too? Elected officials shouldn’t enjoy special privileges that others in their districts don’t.
Besides, a convention is a great opportunity for the party’s electorate to share exactly how they feel about these folks via ballot without removing them from office. It’s entirely appropriate — and refreshing — to see that state party rules allow for this when it comes to governor and our representation in Washington, DC. Districts across the state of North Dakota should mirror this when it comes to state legislators.
Burgum, Hoeven, Cramer, and Armstrong weren’t the only ones who got slighted. Former State Party Chair Perrie Schafer — who lost his bid for reelection by one vote last year — also didn’t make the cut.
Amongst it all, another message was sent when State Auditor Josh Gallion ended up being the leading vote getter– by a lot. It’s no secret that Gallion has been a target of North Dakota’s political establishment. Coming in second was former state lawmaker and current U.S. House candidate Rick Becker. This was an important win for him, which I previously explained here.
There’s other nuances to this issue, and more that could be said, suffice it to say that it was refreshing to see a delegate list filled with those who are more representative of the grassroots than North Dakota’s political elite. Maybe there’s hope for North Dakota’s Republican Party after all.
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Sources:
- Republican National Convention (gopconvention2024.com)
- Rick Becker Wins the NDGOP Convention – The Minuteman Blog
