North Dakota Democrats now have a candidate for Secretary of State.
State Rep Joshua Boschee (D-Fargo) is seeking his party’s endorsement for the job. Incumbent Republican Al Jaeger has said he’s seeking re-election, but he faces a challenge within his own party from GOP District Chair Will Gardner of Mandan.
In his campaign kick-off, Boschee talked about the Secretary of State’s role as the state’s chief election officer. Boschee said Jaeger and the Republican Legislature have tried to put up roadblocks to voting – some of which have been thrown out by the courts.
"The Secretary of State's office and most of our county auditors have failed to prove that voting fraud is happening," Boschee told supporters and reporters in Bismarck. "I don't think we need to fix a system that isn't broken."
Boschee also said he’s not in favor of voter registration.
"One of the greatest things about North Dakota is we don't have voter registration," Boschee said. "The independence of North Dakotans and their respect for privacy means that would not be a good way to go."
Boschee said even though Jaeger has been elected every time since 1992, he thinks voters may be ready for a change.
"We've seen a shift in how people are voting in North Dakota," Boschee said. "They're voting for change."
As an example of that, Boschee pointed to the election of Gov. Doug Burgum (R).
"He's someone who has been able to work inside and outside of his own party to bring a strong coalition of voters," Boschee said. "That's a model I look forward to, engaging voters and not just telling them how they should be thinking."
