A Bismarck lawmaker has proposed a bill to change state law regarding party endorsements for elective office.
Rep. Mike Nathe (R-Bismarck) calls it the “petition” bill.
"Where the law currently stands, at a state party convention or a district convention, if you get the nomination, you're automatically placed on the primary ballot," Nathe said. "What the bill would do is take that away. You would still have the parties and the meetings. But what that bill would do is change it, so that if you want to run and be on the primary ballot, you have to get your signatures."
Nathe said 44 other states have similar requirements. His reasoning for the change?
"Why let some political party insiders, a very small group of people in that district or in the state, decide who should be on that ballot?" Nathe said.
Nathe said in several Legislative districts in the last election cycle, quite a few candidates did not receive the GOP endorsement, but went on to win in the primary. He said the same happened after the state GOP convention.
"We heard an example of a district in Minot, where somebody came in and wanted to run, and the small group of people said, 'No, you can't run,',' because the person was not 'Republican enough,'" Nathe said. "I mean, who are they to say that? Let the public decide who they want to see on the ballot, and go forward."
Nathe said everyone would get a vote, and everyone would have a say.
The bill is HB 1146.
