Former intern is North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party director

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A former intern for the Democratic-NPL Party in North Dakota has been named as its new executive director.

The party’s Policy Committee voted unanimously for Michael Taylor. He worked as caucus director for the House and Senate Democratic-NPL caucuses during the 2019 legislative session and also was a legislative assistant to House Minority Leader Josh Boschee.

The Bismarck Tribune says Taylor, a native of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, was an intern for the party in 2016 and was later hired as a field organizer and then operations director in 2017. His family has lived in Bismarck since 2015.

“I’m excited to continue the ground-up approach guiding the Dem-NPL. That vision and the focus on communities across North Dakota helped us secure legislative gains during the 2018 election,” Taylor said in a statement. “Our volunteers, district leaders, and staff across the state are building a strong bench of candidates who are making the issues that affect North Dakotans our top priorities.”

Party Chairwoman Kylie Oversen said Taylor “brings a wealth of knowledge about North Dakota, the Legislature, and the issues facing communities across the state.”

Democrats hold 15 House seats and 10 Senate seats in the state’s 141-member, Republican-controlled Legislature.