North Dakota
U.S. Senate candidate Katrina Christiansen says things are going ‘amazingly well’ gearing into November
GRAND FORKS — With fewer than 50 days until November’s election, North Dakota U.S. Senate candidate Katrina Christiansen says a big part of what she’s hearing across the state is that government isn’t working.
“There are really serious problems that people want addressed, but we also have toxic cultural issues that won’t allow us to have constructive conversations,” she said. “It’s really challenging for people when we don’t talk about solutions to those things; that’s a failure of our system.”
Christiansen, a Democrat, is
running against incumbent Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer.
She has visited all of the state’s 53 counties, including
Grand Forks County last Saturday, when she marched during the annual Potato Bowl parade
. She said people are often surprised that she’s present at so many events.
It’s even become a campaign slogan: “Katrina, she shows up.”
“It was amazing. It went by so quickly and we had a lot of supporters out there and it was really encouraging,” Christiansen said of the Grand Forks parade. “(When) we were at the Bismarck parade and we had signs like that for the first time and we overheard a guy in the crowd say: ‘Katrina, she shows up. I like that.’ ”
She also recently released a new advertisement telling the story of a voter who’s planning on voting for former Republican President Donald Trump and for Christiansen, a Democrat. The history of split-ticket voting in the state, not voting entirely Republican or Democratic on a ballot, is something Christiansen said is key to her campaign.
“This seat was held by Democrats for nearly 60 years, and North Dakota hasn’t gone to a Democratic president since (President Lyndon B. Johnson),” Christiansen said. “But we’ve elected Democrats (into other offices), so we can get split-ticket voters.”
One of the biggest concerns she’s heard across the state is the rising cost of living. Christiansen said it’s an issue that stretches across the political spectrum, but she also believes other issues get in the way. She believes it’s often getting overshadowed by culture issues and differences that take the air out of the room.
This isn’t Christiansen’s first Senate campaign. She ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Republican Sen. John Hoeven in 2022. Since then, she believes she has grown as a candidate and that her ability to run a successful campaign has improved.
“It’s going amazingly well,” Christiansen said. “We’ve got our first attack ad up. We have got to remind people … why my opponent is not working for them.”
With some North Dakotans receiving ballots as soon as Friday, Sept. 20, part of Christiansen’s strategy is to keep getting out and meeting voters. She said it doesn’t matter whether they’re from the biggest cities or the smallest towns — she wants to meet people where they’re at.
“I don’t dismiss them,” she said. “I want these places to thrive.”
Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn said Christiansen is showing up and doing the work.
“She’s a serious candidate with serious ambitions and serious aspirations to actually do real work for the people of North Dakota,” he said. “Christiansen’s campaign is a campaign for the freedom of all Americans and all North Dakotans.”
He added that her campaign will likely help down-ballot races and the enthusiasm for voting this election. No Dem-NPL candidates were eliminated in the June primary by not having enough votes, and the party has fielded candidates in 80% of legislative races this year.
“I think that she’s showing us all the way forward for all of our down-ballot candidates, driving up enthusiasm and volunteers and money for every candidate,” Goldwyn said.
Christiansen is preparing to debate Cramer on Oct. 2 on Prairie Public. In August, the candidates debated on Forum Communications columnist Rob Port’s “Plain Talk” podcast,
discussing issues from border security to the Farm Bill.
She also acknowledged that there are many hurdles for any Democratic candidate running for a statewide office. A Democratic candidate hasn’t served in a statewide office since Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who lost to Cramer in 2018. Regardless, Christiansen wants people to think about what Cramer has actually accomplished when in office.
“He is incapable of figuring out how to tie things back and then push something out,” Christiansen said. “I’m not saying that he’s a bad politician. He’s just not a problem solver.”
Voigt covers government in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks.
Vernon Dale Krause, 93, of Fargo, ND, formerly of Wahpeton, ND, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Heather’s House in Fargo, ND, under the care of HIA Hospice.
A Celebration of life will be held on Monday, July 20, 2026, at Vertin-Munson Funeral Home, Wahpeton. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., followed by a service at 10:00 a.m., with burial immediately following at Fairview Cemetery in Wahpeton.
Vern was born on February 16, 1933, in rural Wyndmere, ND, one of eleven children born to Theodore and Ella (Rohl) Krause. He grew up in Wyndmere and attended Wyndmere Public School, where he left his studies behind to volunteer for the United States Army. Vern proudly served from 1953 to 1956 before transferring to the Army Reserves. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and, throughout his life, carried great pride in his years of military service.
He married Jean (Carey) Krause, and together they built a life and raised their family in Wahpeton, where he would spend most of his years. They were blessed with two children. In his later years, after developing severe dementia, Vernon moved to Fargo so he could receive the care he needed and be closer to family.
For 41 years, he worked for the City of Wahpeton Water & Sewer Department, where he was highly regarded and known for knowing every inch of the city like the back of his hand. Even after retirement, he continued to volunteer his time and expertise whenever the City needed him. Among the accomplishments he was most proud of were his early years helping develop the Chahinkapa Zoo.
Above all, he cherished his family. He loved anything to do with his grandchildren — from crafting chairs out of tree trunks and splitting wood, to watching their sporting events and helping them grow into who they were meant to be. His great-grandchildren were a true blessing to him — even if their energy made him a little nervous, he always looked forward to their visits. His nieces and nephews brought him great joy as well especially in his later years and he loved being an uncle to them. When his brother Leyone “Spud” moved to town, Vern couldn’t wait to deliver him the daily newspaper and share a chat. He loved tinkering in the garage, always engineering new ways to drain water, and he was the biggest Green Bay Packers fan around — proud to call himself a team shareholder. After moving to Fargo, Vernon was grateful for the time he was able to spend with his sister, Carole Jean, who had always been his protector.
Vernon will be remembered for his steady hands, his quiet devotion to family and community, and the example he set of showing up — for his country, for his city, and most of all, for the people he loved. He will be deeply missed.
Vern is survived by his son, Mark Krause, Fargo; two sisters-in-law, Priscilla Krause and Donna Krause; two brothers-in-law, Ron Carey and Don Carey; eight grandchildren, Carey, Danielle, Margo, Jodi, Nikki, Kevin, Brad and Tracee; 13 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Jean Krause; his daughter, Deb Christopher; five brothers, Alfred, Donald, Willard, Kenneth and Leyone Krause; five sisters, Dorothy Peterson, Loretta Dable, LaVelle Odegard, Lucille Kruchek and Carole Jean Johnson-Bohlken; sisters-in-law, Viola Krause, Marleen Krause, Amy Carey and Linda Carey; brothers-in-law, Elroy Odegard, Robert Johnson, Willis Bohlken, Pete Peterson, Johnny Kruchek and Frank Dable; granddaughter, Robyn Krause; and grandson, Jack Bollman.
GRAFTON, N.D. — Two North Dakota men are speaking out about a 38-year-long alleged mistake that altered their entire lives.
The men and their families are suing Unity Medical Center in Grafton, saying the hospital is responsible for
switching them at birth in 1988
. The hospital denies the allegations.
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There are moments that remind us exactly who we are as a community, and the recent fire at Antelope Creek Bar and Grill in Mooreton was one of them. Many already know the awful loss that unfolded. It was a brutally hot day, the kind where the sun feels heavy and the air is so thick, and social media quickly filled with photos, videos, and comments documenting the devastation. Heartbreaking. Gut‑wrenching. A place that held memories for so many suddenly only visions smoke and charred remains.
But even in the middle of all that loss, something else rose up, something that always seems to show itself around here when life gets hard. Kindness. Pure, steady kindness.
The volunteer firefighters were the first reminder. They never cease to amaze me. They drop everything … work, family, whatever they were in the middle of and suit up in layers of gear despite the heat and humidity. They’re regular people with regular jobs, yet they show up like it’s the most natural thing in the world. No spotlight. No applause. Just service. Just heart.
Then came the folks who arrived with water, Gatorade, and anything they could think of to help ease the burden of those battling the blaze. Nobody organized it. Nobody asked. They simply showed up because that’s what people do here. That alone would have been enough to warm my heart.
But it didn’t stop there.
As the day went on, I saw posts from other regional businesses, specifically other bar and grills, reaching out with messages of support. These are places that could easily be seen as competition, yet there they were, offering help, extending care, and standing shoulder to shoulder with the owners who had just watched their livelihood disappear. “We are here. How can we help?” they wrote. No rivalry. No hesitation. Just neighbors being neighbors.
If you ever need a reminder of what makes this valley special, it’s moments like that. People who could have stayed quiet choosing instead to lift someone else up. Businesses that could have focused on themselves choosing instead to stand with another in their darkest moment. It’s the best of us. The part of small town life that doesn’t make headlines but makes all the difference.
We talk a lot about community, but this, this right here is what it looks like. It looks like firefighters sweating through their gear on a 90‑degree day. It looks like strangers handing out cold drinks. It looks like business owners reaching across the aisle to say, “You’re not alone.” It looks like compassion showing up before anyone has time to think twice.
Loss has a way of revealing character. And what I saw in the wake of that fire was a valley full of people who still believe in showing up, still believe in helping, still believe in each other. In a world that can feel divided and loud, this quiet, steady goodness is worth noticing. Worth celebrating. Worth holding onto.
Because when the smoke clears and the debris settles, what remains is the strength of a community that refuses to let anyone face hardship alone. And that, more than anything, is the story worth telling.
That is the true Best of the Valley. The people.
Bobbi Steffens resides in the Southern Valley and discovered her passion for writing through an unexpected path.
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