Conventions, Primaries, or Both?
It appears there will be some proposals in the Legislature to make changes in the way parties choose candidates.
The North Dakota GOP Convention adopted a resolution calling for the end to “partisan primaries,” leaving candidate selection in the hands of the Convention. Also, some Republican legislators have proposals to end the convention process, and leave the candidate selection to primary voters.
Both ideas have been floated before, but have failed to gain traction. Watch for bills in the 2027 Legislative Session.
Convention Takeaways
Last weekend, I attended and reported from the GOP State Convention in Minot.
The whole convention showcased the divisions in the party. Every statewide elected official skipped the gathering, and many were labeled “RINOs,” or Republicans in Name Only. That led to the motion to remove the Republican, or “R” designation from the primary ballot for candidates who decided to go directly to the primary. They have to gather signatures.
The only candidates to receive the convention endorsement (and won’t have to gather petition signatures) were U.S. House candidate Alex Balazs and PSC candidate Deven Styczynski.
As an aside, there was something about the convention venue that was very “North Dakotan.” The convention was held in one of four different arenas in the State Fair Grounds — the other three arenas housed a car show, a gun show, and a flea market.
