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.
Funeral service for Carmen Tweeten, 90, of Albuquerque, NM, formerly of Dickinson, will be 10:00 am, July 23, 2026 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson with Pastor Konrad Tweeten officiating. Burial will follow to Dickinson Cemetery. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service. Carmen passed away July 8, 2026. Carmen Wayne Tweeten was born on February 4, 1936, in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the son of Tillman and Minerva (Dahl) Tweeten. He grew up in Grand Forks and Dickinson, North Dakota, graduating from Central High School in Dickinson in 1954. He married Henrietta Oukrop on June 13, 1954, in Dickinson. They celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary this year. In February of 1955, they welcomed their only child, a boy whom they named Konrad (Kon). Carmen graduated from Dickinson State College and then taught Junior High Science in Glendive, Montana. He graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago, Illinois, with the highest grade point average in the school’s history (as of 2012 it was still not surpassed). Carmen worked at Silvernale Funeral Home in Glendive until moving to Echo, Minnesota in 1960 where he managed Sunset Funeral Home until 1978. In 1974, Carmen gave his life to Jesus Christ and began to teach Bible studies in the Echo area. He filled many pulpits for vacationing pastors and churches who were in between pastors. He also held revival meetings in western North Dakota. In 1978, he and his wife, Henrietta, moved to Dickinson, North Dakota, where they owned and operated Tweeten Funeral Homes in Dickinson and Bowman, North Dakota. In November of 1984, Carmen and Henrietta relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico where they lived for the past 42 years. Carmen worked at French Mortuary as both a funeral director and then as a pre-need funeral planner. He also worked for Monumental Life Insurance Company in Baltimore, Maryland, as a trainer and conference speaker. He retired in 1998 in Albuquerque where he and Henrietta continued to enjoy each other until his death at home on July 8, 2026. He is survived by his wife, Henrietta; his son, Kon (Connie) Tweeten of Albuquerque; three granddaughters, LaChae Webster of Oklahoma City OK, Kristy (Brian) Sterling of Wylie, Texas, and Yvette (Joshua) Smith of Dayton OH; fourteen great grandchildren, and nine great, great grandchildren; one brother, Dennis of The Villages Fl; one brother-in-law, Daniel (Kathy) Oukrop of Bismarck ND and many nieces, nephews, cousins and a multitude of friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Tillman and Minerva Tweeten and Harry and Amy Oukrop, two brothers, two sisters, and one grandson. Remembrances and condolences can be shared at www.stevensonfuneralhome.com.
Wrestling: Yates, Raper excel in North Dakota
Published 2:07 am Monday, July 13, 2026
Carson Raper. Rhett Hoy photo.
Staff report
FARGO, N.D. – Carson Raper, a rising sophomore at South Rowan, and Braylen Yates, a rising sophomore at East Rowan, did very well on a national stage in the 16U Junior Nationals held over the weekend in the Fargodome.
Yates wrestled at 175, while Raper wrestled at 113.
Yates finished fourth (out of a field of 128 wrestlers) to earn All-America honors.
Yates dominated his first three matches before winning a close quarterfinal. He lost a 4-0 decision to a Minnesota wrestler in the semifinals and a 6-2 decision to an Illinois wrestler in the third-place match.
Raper won his first two matches by technical fall before losing to a Missouri wrestler in the Round of 32.
Raper bounced back in the consolation bracket to win two more matches. He lost a 12-10 decision to a Florida wrestler to end his run in the tournament. Raper was the youngest in his weight class.
Raper won a 4A NCHSAA championship last winter, while Yates was a state runner-up in 5A.
They have big futures.
FARGO, N.D. — Farmers, crop advisers, agribusiness professionals and community members are invited to a field day hosted by North Dakota State University’s North Central Research Extension Center on July 15. The annual event will provide the latest research-based information on crop production, livestock, soil health, pest management and agricultural markets from NDSU Extension specialists and researchers.
The annual field day highlights current research addressing the challenges and opportunities facing North Dakota agriculture.
“The NCREC field day is the opportunity to see how the research and Extension efforts at NCREC directly benefit producers,” says James Rogers, interim assistant director of NDSU’s North Central Research Extension Center. “It is a great opportunity to interact with researchers and Extension specialists.”
Registration and the morning program begin at 8:30 a.m. with a pest clinic, educational display booths, and coffee and donuts. The official program starts at 9 with welcoming remarks and presentation of the NDSU Partnership Award. The morning continues with a market outlook presented by Frayne Olson, NDSU Extension crops economist and professor, offering attendees insights into current agricultural market trends and economic conditions.
Participants will then travel by trailer to a series of field stops featuring the latest NDSU Extension and research recommendations:
- Forage and livestock management updates – Rogers and Lacey Quail, NDSU Extension livestock management specialist
- Weed control strategies – Brian Jenks, weed scientist at the North Central Research Extension Center
- Corn weed management updates – Joe Ikley, NDSU Extension weed specialist
- Soil health trailer demonstration – Carlos Pires, NDSU Extension soil health specialist
- Soybean and canola production updates – Ana Carcedo, NDSU Extension broadleaf crops agronomist
- Hard red spring wheat variety research – Andrew Green, associate professor in NDSU’s Department of Plant Sciences
- Small grains disease management – Andrew Friskop, NDSU Extension plant pathologist
- Insect management updates – Jan Knodel, NDSU Extension entomologist
The field sessions conclude at noon with lunch, providing attendees an opportunity to visit with NDSU specialists and fellow producers.
For registration and additional information about the field day, visit ndsu.ag/NCREC-fieldday26 or contact the center at 701-857-7677.
— NDSU Extension
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