North Dakota
Port: Addled by paranoia, North Dakota Republicans don't even trust themselves to run a fair election
MINOT — Gov. Doug Burgum
opting not to run for a third term
has set off a reshuffling of state politics
as various Republicans jockey and posture to take advantage.
This means that this spring’s NDGOP convention looks like it will be…sporty.
It’s a lucky turn of events for party chair Sandi Sanford. The NDGOP
has struggled with fundraising
on her watch as Trump-era divides in the party show up in the party’s finances. Things have gotten so bad that the party jacked up the cost of participating in the state convention, nearly doubling the fees delegates will have to pay.
Being a delegate this year will cost a whopping $150, according to the party’s registration information. That’s up more than 76% from the $85 fee charged at the 2022 state convention. A party membership, which is also a prerequisite, is $50, and many districts also charge their own dues to local activists. Attending the annual prayer breakfast and governor’s dinner will also cost $35 and $125, respectively, plus whatever food, travel and lodging costs the delegates accrue.
By contrast, the Democratic-NPL doesn’t require a delegate fee. They have just a $100 suggested donation, party chair Adam Goldwyn told me, though, admittedly, the Democrats aren’t quite the same draw in North Dakota as the Republicans are.
It’s a lot of money to shell out for participation, and if the convention weren’t as likely to feature competitive endorsement races as it is now, I suspect many Republicans would have given it a pass.
Now,
with heated competitions likely for governor and U.S. House,
interest should be higher. But, despite the higher fees, Republican delegates will be greeted in Fargo by a slow, confusing, error-prone process of pen-and-paper voting. Anyone who has attended a NDGOP state convention over the last couple of decades, and has sat through seeming interminable delays, knows what a slogging chore voting on things like resolutions, rules, delegates and candidates can be.
The party considered moving to a system of electronic voting, speeding things up and improving accuracy — and they even went so far as to get a bid from a vendor to provide those services — but the MAGA wing of the party nixed the whole thing.
I’m told by people who attended the Jan. 20 state committee meeting that the vendor gave a detailed presentation about the voting system. Some party leaders, including Vice Chair John Trandem, argued that electronic voting would not only be faster but more secure and accurate. The paper balloting process relies on ballots being printed out in the convention hall and distributed to the hundreds and sometimes thousands of delegates, who then mark them and turn them in to their district chairs, who turn them over to be counted.
The ballots go through a lot of hands. There are a lot of humans involved who could, if they have nefarious intent, manipulate the process. Or, more likely, make an honest mistake.
Electronic voting makes more sense to reasonable people, among whose number we cannot count the sort of Republicans who have bought into disgraced former President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election. The NDGOP’s technology committee recommended, by way of an 8-5 vote, the use of electronic voting at the state convention. Unfortunately, the state committee, made up of local committee chairs from around the state, voted it down 26-30.
Before you tell me this seems too crazy to believe, remember that a ballot measure currently being circulated would change state election law in many ways, including the banning of electronic voting machines. The chair of that ballot measure committee — risibly, they call their proposal the
“election integrity act”
— promoted stolen election twaddle to state lawmakers during their 2022 session, including the claim that the U.S. Supreme Court had overturned the 2020 election in
a “secret docket” ruling.
Go ahead and laugh if you want. It is a very stupid claim to make, and only the foolishly gullible, the MAGA movement’s legions of useful idiots, really believe it. But then remember that people who believe that sort of thing make up a majority of the Republicans who are showing up to party committee meetings and conventions.
Useful idiots, indeed.
This is why the NDGOP can’t use a safe, secure electronic voting process to count votes at its state convention. And, should the aforementioned ballot measure get any traction, it could also be why voting in our state’s elections becomes more arduous and less secure.
Because the NDGOP’s base is so paranoid, they don’t even trust themselves.
“The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.” Genesis 12:7
These verses have been used to justify all kinds of land disputes in the Middle East. Indeed, I have heard people in Christian circles in our own country use this verse to justify their support for Israel in wars to preserve “their” God-given land, because the Israelites were the children of Abram (later called Abraham).
While that is true, Abraham was the father of two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. Jewish and Christian believers consider themselves descendants of Abraham through Isaac. Muslim believers consider themselves descendants of Abraham through Ishmael. Therefore, the land God gave to Abraham, and his descendants is not Jewish land, Muslim land or Christian land. It belongs to all of these “cousins” who believe in God/Yahweh/Allah (etc.….).
One of the most alarming trends in the world of faith is the rise of religious nationalism. According to Wikipedia, “religious nationalism is the fusion of national identity with religious beliefs, where a nation is defined by a shared faith, and religion serves as a central pillar of its political and social life. It seeks to align government policies and laws with religious doctrines.” This happens among all of the cousins of Abraham’s descendants. There are Islamic nationalists, Jewish Zionists, and Christian nationalists, and they are all dangerous.
In the same way Zionists will claim the Middle East as given to them by God, religious nationalists use the beliefs and texts (Bible, Koran) out of context to rationalize their political views, policies and even wars. They attempt to convince people that one political viewpoint supports their faith, and others do not. In the United States, Christian nationalism is on the rise. Politicians repeatedly use scripture to support their policies and ideals, attempting to convince us that what they are doing is the “Christian” thing to do, when, in fact, quite often these policies and ideals not only have nothing to do with the Christian faith, but they also occasionally go completely against it.
I once heard a state politician say, “It’s my God-given right to carry a gun.” Say WHAT??? God did not give anyone the right to carry a gun. Period. That’s just foolishness. And nobody even commented about it, which tells me it doesn’t bother us to hear people say things like that.
Our faith in God, no matter which branch of the family tree we come from, should “inform” our political and ethical views, but we cannot become like other countries and base our laws on one religious belief or another. Especially in a country where we are diverse in our religious beliefs. This is not a “Christian” nation, a “Muslim” nation or a “Jewish” nation. It is a nation of people who come from all kinds of faith traditions, and we are promised the freedom to practice our religion, no matter what it is.
God gave the descendants of Abraham – all of the descendants of Abraham — blessings too numerous to mention. We can be grateful for those blessings without trying to claim all of them as our own.
Rev. Janel F. Kolar is the pastor at First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Dickinson, North Dakota.
BISMARCK — Fargo Shanley shined in a battle of unbeatens Saturday afternoon at Sanford Sports Complex, while unseating the defending state champion.
The Deacons got goals from Carly Hulstein, Emma Rohrich and Annie Yablonski to earn a 3-0 victory against Mandan for the North Dakota girls soccer state championship.
Shanley completed its unbeaten season, while shutting out defending champ Mandan for the first time this spring.
“The girls were excited to play Mandan, two undefeated teams and someone had to come out as the winner,” Deacons head coach Ryan Christianson said. “Whoever worked the hardest was going to come out champions, our girls were hungry.”
Tanner Ecker / Bismarck Tribune
The Deacons (13-0-4) won their first state crown since 2019 and third overall. Mandan (17-0-1) fell one win shy of a repeat.
“Tough game, I felt like we controlled the game, to be honest,” Mandan head coach Aaron McElwee said. “We knew they would be dangerous on set pieces and that’s what they created.”
Shanley converted on a corner kick in the opening half for what proved to be the game-winning goal. Hulstein got a late head touch on a corner off the foot Rohrich, giving the Deacons a 1-0 lead with 16 minutes remaining until halftime.
“The first goal in the first half, that sparked momentum,” Christianson said. “Coming off of last year, we scored a bunch of corners, but this year I think we only had one or two. To make it count in the state championship game, I’ll take it.”
Tanner Ecker / Bismarck Tribune
The first insurance goal for the Deacons came with less than 18 minutes left in the second, as Rohrich scored off a rebound.
“That second goal was a hustle effort by Emma with an awesome finish,” Christianson said. “Emma was locked in from yesterday’s game, two goals sparked the fire and led into today. She deserved that one.”
Yablonski, a freshman, scored her first varsity goal for a 3-0 lead with 1 minute, 31 seconds remaining, as Mandan tried to apply pressure late.
“Annie with the cherry on top with the deep ball after the goalie was pushed up to help her team,” Christianson said. “That’s a way to start off your varsity career. She was close earlier in the game with a shot that went wide of the post, but that was a heads-up play by her, noticing the goalie was out.”
Tanner Ecker / Bismarck Tribune
Mandan’s best chance came from senior Sarah Helderop, off a corner kick in the second half, but Shanley goalkeeper Kailey Ottmar knocked the ball down and grabbed the rebound before any Braves players could arrive.
“Kailey was focused from the beginning of the game, usually I talk to her a bit, but she wanted to be by herself,” Christianson said. “She didn’t have to do too much, but there was a corner, a free kick. She was heads-up and had a good handle on the ball.”
Ottmar finished with six saves to earn the shutout. Gabby Frohlich had three saves for Mandan.
“Congrats to Shanley,” McElwee said. “We were close.”
Tanner Ecker / Bismarck Tribune
Filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court
North Dakota
Shelly Frances, Minot, Chapter 7
Garrett Joseph Farnsworth, Bismarck, Chapter 7
Aaron James Goette, Horace, Chapter 13
Destinee L. Reed, Grand Forks, Chapter 7
LaWayne and Ruthanna Smith, Surrey, Chapter 13
Sabrina Marie Odegaard, formerly known as Sabrina Marie Wagner, Dickinson, Chapter 7
Krysti Mae Bench, formerly known as Krysti Mae Gainey, Fargo, Chaper 7
Tera Carleen Geyer, formerly known as Tera Dutchak, Dickinson, Chapter 7
Heath Alan Schaffer, LaMoure, Chapter 7
Nicholas Duane Noel, Fargo, Chapter 13
Jason Walter Lautt, Jamestown, Chapter 7
Bryan Lee Drinkman, Grand Forks, Chapter 7
Melia Kay Thompson, Grand Forks, Chapter 7
Roger Pelzer, Minot, Chapter 13
Jason Valentine and Amy Marie Keller, Bismarck, Chapter 13
Jaden Allen McGregor, Horace, Chapter 13
Rodney John and Jennifer Rebecca Brown, Williston, Chapter 13
Kayden Michelle Pavlicek, Dunn Center, Chapter 13
Minnesota
Bankruptcy filings from the following counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, Polk, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin.
Tyler Erick Nelson and Lisa Ann Nelson, formerly known as Lisa Costello, Dilworth, Chapter 13
Ethan Kenneth Edwards and Katherine Elizabeth Edwards, formerly known as Katherine Thornsburry, Park Rapids, Chapter 7
Amber Rae Durkin, formerly known as Amber O’Beirne, and James Robert Durkin, Bemidji, Chapter 13
Sierra Jade Ileene Isum, East Grand Forks, Chapter 7
Elizabeth Charlotte Smith, also known as Betsy Smith, Ogema, Chapter 7
Rebecca Lacey and Matthew Ian Angell, Alexandria, Chapter 7
Chapter 7 is a petition to liquidate assets and discharge debts.
Chapter 11 is a petition for protection from creditors and to reorganize.
Chapter 12 is a petition for family farmers to reorganize.
Chapter 13 is a petition for wage earners to readjust debts.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
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