'No facts' to suggest Emily O'Brien does not live in District 42, secretary of state says

GRAND FORKS — Grand Forks Rep. Emily O’Brien will stay on the November ballot after the North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office said her candidate filings and voter ID say she resides within her district.

“The North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office says there are no facts to back up accusations that a state representative lives outside the district she is running in,” Kerstin Kealy of WDAY News reported.

A District 42 resident

filed a complaint

with the Grand Forks Police Department last week alleging that O’Brien, a Republican lawmaker since 2017, does not reside at the address she claims. She is up for reelection on Nov. 5.

O’Brien could not be reached for comment Friday a, afternoon, but defended herself against the allegations

during a legislative candidate forum

on Tuesday.

“There have been several conversations. Four years ago it was the same conversation because my boyfriend and I have two children together,” O’Brien said at that time. “I work very hard to still have my own house where all my mail goes; my children have a safe and comfortable place to go that mom has and dad has.”

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