BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s big spending appeared to be paying off as two political newcomers he backed were in strong position Tuesday to oust one of the state’s most powerful lawmakers in the Republican primary.
Results in the all-mail election showed David Andahl and Dave Nehring with substantial leads over House Appropriations Chairman Jeff Delzer, a longtime lawmaker who has sometimes been at odds with Burgum on policy and spending. Delzer’s diminishing hope lies with ballots still in the mail.
All 53 counties chose to avoid in-person voting due to the coronavirus. With the post office playing its biggest role for an election in state history, nearly 155,000 ballots had been returned before election day. Although most of them were counted Tuesday night, ballots postmarked by Monday will be counted if they’re received by June 15.
Burgum took the unusual step of targeting a powerful incumbent from his own party. He joined district Republicans in backing Andahl and Nehring over Delzer, who represents a district that stretches northeast of Bismarck.
Delzer didn’t respond to repeated messages Tuesday night. Nehring said in a text message that he was “truly humbled by the results” and that he was determined to “bring new conservative leadership” to the Legislature.
The legislative district’s sole Democratic House candidate, Kathrin Volochenko, had no primary opposition. She and two Republicans who advance out of the primary will face off this fall, and the top two finishers in that race will win House seats.
Burgum spent $1.85 million helping bankroll a political action campaign that set its sights on defeating Delzer, a bachelor farmer from Underwood with a reputation for tight-fisted budgeting.
Delzer was a big part of an effort last year that amended longstanding rules to essentially disregard Burgum’s budget proposal and use the Legislature’s previous budget as a starting point instead. He also was an outspoken critic of Burgum’s top priority, a proposed Theodore Roosevelt presidential library in western North Dakota, though that ultimately was approved by the Legislature.
Burgum also was backing Fargo businessman and GOP Rep. Thomas Beadle for treasurer against Rep. Daniel Johnston, who is seen as a member of the far-right wing of the Republican-controlled Legislature that has been critical of the governor. Johnston has gotten support from North Dakota U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer and President Donald Trump. Beadle had a narrow lead with votes still being counted.
The governor’s big-money drive to install allies in the Legislature and the state treasurer’s office provided some intrigue to an otherwise low-key election with no other competitive primaries for statewide office or any statewide ballot measures. Burgum himself easily fended off a primary challenge from Michael Coachman, a retired Air Force veteran who has run several statewide campaigns.
With Burgum’s money, the Dakota Leadership PAC has raised well over $2 million, much of it from out-of-state donors, filings show.
That’s helped fund a blitz of mail, television and online ads aimed at ousting Delzer, who holds one of the district’s two seats; the other is open due to the retirement of Republican Vernon Laning.
North Dakota Democrats have one declared candidate for the treasurer’s job, Bismarck’s Mark Haugen.
The state treasurer heads the smallest state office headed by an elected official, but also sits on powerful state boards that manage state investments and land holdings. The office has survived numerous attempts over the years to abolish it and distribute its duties among other agencies.
Beadle was one of 18 lawmakers in 2017 who supported a move to dissolve the office.
Separately, Burgum has contributed $100,000 to his own campaign so far and $42,000 to about 20 GOP incumbent and first-time legislative candidates, filings show.
Twenty-three of North Dakota’s 47 legislative districts have House and Senate races this year. Each district is represented by two House members and a senator.
North Dakota Republicans control both houses of the Legislature.
Democrats are not fielding candidates for seven House seats and seven Senate seats. Republicans lack a candidate only for the House seat for north Fargo’s District 44, held by Democrat Karla Rose Hanson.
North Dakota State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler is headed to the general election in November. She pleaded guilty in March to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence in an agreement that included a 10-day suspended jail sentence.
Underwood School District Superintendent Brandt J. Dick appeared likely to join Baesler in the fall election, running well ahead of frequent political candidate Charles Tuttle.
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