What caused a deadlock for the North Dakota Republican endorsement for US House?

FARGO — None of the Republican candidates for U.S. House expected the North Dakota Republican Party’s endorsement for their race to

end with a deadlock.

The unusual vote garnered ballots for three candidates on Saturday, April 6, at the state GOP convention in Fargo. Only two qualified for the nomination, but there was a twist.

On the first vote,

Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak

topped

military veteran Alex Balazs, of Cando,

611-403. Fedorchak seemed to win, but voters wrote in former state

Rep. Rick Becker’s

name on 382 ballots. Also known as spoiled ballots, the write-ins counted toward the total vote and prevented the nominees from getting a majority.

No majority, no election, NDGOP Chair Sandi Sanford announced. Twice.

Even after Becker told delegates to vote for a nominee on the second go-around, neither could secure the nod. Balazs edged Fedorchak 605-599. With 13 ballots spoiled again for Becker, Balazs fell short of the majority.

Becker, Balazs and Fedorchak told The Forum after the vote that they were surprised no one could get a majority. Sensing the results wouldn’t change, Fedorchak said there was no point in making delegates stay for a third vote.

She decided to step up to the microphone and concede the nomination to Balazs.

“It was just clear to me, it was time to move,” Fedorchak said Monday in a phone interview with The Forum.

She called Becker’s successful attempt to spoil ballots a “self-serving” stunt. State GOP rules said the Bismarck man couldn’t seek the nomination because he ran as an independent against U.S. Sen. John Hoeven in 2022.

The morning of the vote, Becker asked delegates to vote for him, though he said in a text message that

he didn’t want Balazs to get attention.

In the months leading up to the convention, delegates told Becker they didn’t like their options for the nominee and that they would write his name in, he told The Forum on Tuesday. He said he warned them that would waste their ballots.

He also said he didn’t know the spoiled ballots would count toward the total and potentially prevent a majority.

“People were angry because they thought it was a stunt to spoil the convention,” he said. “It really wasn’t.”

In 2021, the North Dakota Republican Party put in place a rule that would ban anyone from seeking the GOP endorsement in any race for six years if they run as an independent or seek another party’s endorsement.

Becker said the rule didn’t specifically target him, but he said it prevents Republicans from having an option at the convention.

“It should not be there to protect incumbents,” he said of the rule, advocating that it should be changed.

Fedorchak said the rule should “absolutely not” be changed.

“Are you serving the Republican Party, or are you just trying to find the easiest path to victory?” she asked.

Becker broke the rules and then came to the convention to orchestrate a plan to spoil ballots, Fedorchak said. That threw the convention into chaos, she said.

“It served no purpose,” she said.

Becker said his voters felt disenfranchised by not being allowed to vote for him. All they wanted was a voice, and they got it by spoiling ballots, he said.

“We have significant support throughout the state, and I think the convention showed that,” he said.

Before the first vote, he said, he asked party leaders if he could speak after the first-round results were announced. In that speech, he thanked his supporters, said their voices were heard and encouraged them to vote for a qualified nominee instead of him on the second vote.

Fedorchak said Becker disenfranchised voters by running as an independent in the first place.

“Those kind of actions don’t belong in a person seeking one of the highest offices in the state,” she said. “Leaders are supposed to serve others, not be served.”

As a first-time candidate, Balazs said he knew the fight for the nomination was an uphill battle.

“I was ready for any process that came along — maybe not this one,” he said of the spoiled votes.

The vote should have been a clean one between the two nominees, Balazs said shortly after the vote. He didn’t agree with Becker’s tactics, though he said he respects Becker’s supporters wanting to vote for their preferred candidate.

“They clearly wanted a moment to speak,” he said.

When asked if the rule should change, he said that is up to the party. He said he wouldn’t change the rule unless his supporters wanted to. When rules are in place and candidates decide to break them, they have to live with the consequences, he said.

“If it was my kid, I’d say, ‘I’m not changing the rules now because you already knew that,’ ” Balazs said.

Heading into the June 11 primary, Balazs, Fedorchak and Becker face a

five-way race.

Former Miss America and Bismarck attorney Cara Mund joined the race as a Republican on Monday, as did

Williston resident Sharlet Mohr.

The winner will either face Trygve Hammer, whom the Democratic Party endorsed this weekend, or Roland Riemers, of Grand Forks. Riemers also joined the race on Monday.

Getting a party’s endorsement, especially from the controlling party in the state, gives Balazs an advantage. Seen largely as a newcomer, he can now tell voters he has the support of the party.

Balazs said he plans to travel as much as possible to meet with people and get his name known to the public. He said the candidates need to learn to follow the rules as they run their campaigns.

“I’m going to run that way up until the primary,” he said. “It’s going to be honest. … People have to decide who has the best character, who has the best platform and who they want to vote for.”

Becker said he was pleased with how many delegates voted for him. He said he feels good heading into the five-way race because three candidates, including himself, have name recognition.

“I think the grassroots base has actively been growing,” he said, calling the vote at the convention a success.

Fedorchak also is well-known in the state, along with Mund, who ran against U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong in 2022 as an independent.

Fedorchak said she is excited to get out to meet people, talk about her mission and get her message out to voters.

“I think we have strong momentum coming out of the convention,” she said.