GRAND FORKS — No candidates for the state’s U.S. representative seat have been officially certified yet, but some have still started campaigns ahead of the 2026 election.

The most recent to announce his candidacy is Vern Thompson, a former state lawmaker who will be running on the Democrat ticket.

Aside from Thompson, Trygve Hammer is so far the only other Democrat in the race. Republicans who have announced are Alex Balazs, Ferris Broxton and incumbent Julie Fedorchak.

Thompson served in the state House of Representatives from 1989-1990 and in the state Senate from 1997-2000. He said his decision to run for the congressional seat was prompted by others suggesting the idea after a letter he wrote to Fedorchak, giving her what he called “tough love,” was popular on Facebook.

“I was getting people asking me, ‘Well, you know, maybe you should run?’ ” he said. “I prayed about it; I talked to my family about it; I talked to all the former congressional members from North Dakota that were with the Democratic-NPL (Nonpartisan League) … and kind of let them know what was going through my mind.”

Thompson, of Minnewaukan, said his previous experience with the Legislature gives him the tools needed to fill the U.S. House seat, adding he also had “the knowledge, the energy, the passion and the inspiration” to do the job. He also has no plans to become a “career politician,” he said, and would only serve two terms if elected.

Thompson wants to address health insurance costs, utility prices, and support for farmers and agriculture, among other topics.

He is also concerned about tariffs on other countries like Canada, saying he’s heard frustrations from Canadians.

“I’m talking to as many Canadians as I do on the U.S. side, and the president has just gotten our neighbors, or biggest trading partner, angry with us, where they’re not coming as far as tourism for Grand Forks,” he said.

Another recent entry into the race is Republican Ferris Broxton, a businessman from Minot.

Broxton, who’s originally from Georgia, said he chose to run for the seat because of what he called systemic corruption in the government. He said he reached out about it to Gov. Kelly Armstrong — when Armstrong was North Dakota’s representative — as well as to Sen. Kevin Cramer, Sen. John Hoeven and Fedorchak.

By running for the U.S. House, Broxton said he can make his concerns about the government known more publicly.

“That’s a position where I can make a difference; where I can have a megaphone, where I can talk to the news on a regular basis, where I can educate people,” he said.

Broxton has also laid out more of his goals if elected on his website, including holding public town hall meetings and improving transparency at all levels of government.

He also said while he doesn’t have prior experience as a politician, he has been a “fighter” all his life and hopes to hold government officials accountable if he is elected.

“If nobody’s able to step forward and get me heard and show that they will represent North Dakota and protect us from the biggest threat, then I will do everything I can to take that position. That’s what I’m running for,” he said.

Fedorchak, the incumbent,

announced her bid for reelection at the beginning of January.

She was first elected to the position in 2024 and is a native of Williston.

“As a fourth-generation North Dakotan, I want the very best state and nation for my kids and for families across our state,” Fedorchak said in a news release. “That means advancing policies to make America safer, stronger and more affordable — and that’s what I’m working toward every day.”

Alex Balazs

announced his candidacy in December.

Balazs previously ran for the House seat during the primary in 2024. He is a military veteran from Cando.

“Public service should never become a permanent campaign,” Balazs said in a news release. “North Dakota deserves a representative who leads, who introduces legislation, drives the conversation, and stays accountable to the people, not the politics.”

Trygve Hammer

also launched his campaign in January,

having also ran for the same seat during the 2024 election. Hammer is a Velva native, a retired Marine and former educator.

“Right now we have no voice in Congress. We need someone who will see something and say something. We need a representative who will demand that Congress take back its rightful powers,” Hammer said via release.

The primary election on June 9 will determine which Democrat and Republican candidate will move forward to the general election on Nov. 3.