463: Republicans silent on Nico Rios scandal, Treasurer Beadle talks re-election

In 2020, Donald Trump was still in office, and made the decision to reach down to a state-level executive branch race of the sort you don't normally see American presidents intervening in.

In the NDGOP's primary that year, Trump endorsed former state Rep. Daniel Johnston to be North Dakota's Treasurer. Pillow salesman and MAGA-world celebrity Mike Lindell endorsed Johnston too, as did U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer.

But another lawmaker, Thomas Beadle, won the Republican primary with support from Gov. Doug Burgum. Now he's up for re-election, and joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss it.

Beadle described the 2020 competition as a "proxy battle" between Cramer and Burgum. He said his personal style isn't showy. "I was never the show horse," he said, adding that he didn't get involved in politics to "just own the libs."

Asked if he feels he will face a primary challenge from the populist, Trump-aligned faction of the party, Beadle said he wasn't sure, but that he's not "afraid of it."

He didn't commit to attending the NDGOP's statewide convention, where the populist faction has gotten the most traction in state politics. "It's an open conversation," he said. "I love the convention process," he added, but said he plans to campaign "all the way to November," suggesting he'd likely stay in the race even if he doesn't receive the party's convention endorsement.

Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the scandal involving state Rep. Nico Rios, and why Republicans have, so far, been reticent to condemn a man who used vile slurs and bigoted language on two members of the Williston Police Department.