Plain Talk

"It's one thing to think about Democrats in the abstract," U.S. House candidate Trygve Hammer, himself a Democrat, told co-host Chad Oban and I on this episode of Plain Talk. "It's another thing to meet a Democrat. Hammer has a strong military and labor background, and when he said that, he was responding to a question about how he, as a member of a party that in many ways has lost touch with blue-collar voters, can reconnect with that constituency. He also spoke about some of the recent scandals North Dakota Republicans have found themselves mired in, and suggested Democrats have some culpability as well. Not for the scandals themselves, but for not being more competitive with Republicans. "There is a little bit of Democratic responsibility for this," he said, adding that "it would be political malpractice in this cycle for Democrats not to bring this stuff up." As for his opponent, incumbent Congressman Kelly Armstrong, Hammer says he feels some empathy. "I sympathize with him," Hammer said. "He's been put in a pickle by a lot of the bad actors in his party." Also on this episode, Oban and I analyze the case former state Sen. Tom Campbell is making for his gubernatorial ambitions, and whether or not state Rep. Jason Dockter, a Bismarck Republican who is facing a misdemeanor criminal charge over a sweetheart office lease deal, should resign. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

One of the first things former state Senator Tom Campbell said as he began his interview on this episode of Plain Talk with co-host Chad Oban and I was this: "I'm not here to bash Doug," referring to incumbent Governor Doug Burgum. Campbell, who is considering a run for governor himself, then spent the next six minutes or so bashing Doug. "He's been an ok governor," Campbell said, damning the incumbent with faint praise. "I think eight years is probably enough," he said. "I think everyone realized right from the get go that it was going nowhere," Campbell said of Burgum's presidential campaign. He also said that campaign didn't reflect well on North Dakota, saying it was "making us look like a small hick state." Campbell quoted an unnamed friend who told him, "I don't think I want someone controlling the nuclear buttons that just comes from a small town and rides horses." Those are some sharp jabs for someone not out to "bash" their potential opponent. Campbell, who says he hasn't yet decided on a gubernatorial run, addressed some potential areas of criticism for his potential campaign, including his family's decision to sell land to tech industry mogul Bill Gates, a bete noire of the populist right. "Our family decided to sell the land to him and we leased it back long term," he said, adding that the money from the transaction "allows us to keep farming." "That was a very positive thing I did," he added. Asked about his priorities, should he run for and win the governor's seat, Campbell said he'd sign a bill to cap property taxes, and focus on workforce shortages, particularly in the areas of teachers, medical professionals, and lawyers. Oban asked Campbell whether he feels incumbent President Joe Biden won the 2020 election, and Campbell wouldn't commit. "I don't know," he said. "There's a lot of information that's still coming out," he added. Michael Bell, a new talk radio host on KFYR AM550 in Bismarck, also joined this show to talk about starting a gig like that in these divisive political times. "It's been an interesting tome to help break through to the masses," he said. He's critical of Donald Trump. "He's not really a Republican and certainly not a conservative," Bell said. He also said that many on the right today "yell and shout and think that's conservatism." To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

If you own property in North Dakota right now, and you live at that property as your primary residence, you are probably eligible for a $500 property tax credit from the State of North Dakota. You can fill out an online form on the Tax Commissioner's website right now and claim that credit. Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss that process. He says some 35,000 North Dakotans have claimed it already, and he expects the number to be well above 50,000 by next week. He said he expects about 90% of eligible citizens to claim the credit. Congressman Kelly Armstrong also joined this episode and addressed the scandal around state Rep. Nico Rios, saying he agrees with the calls on the Williston lawmaker to resign. Armstrong, a former defense attorney who says he's represented clients in DUI cases, says Rios "hit the trifecta of what not to do" during an arrest, pointing out that he refused a sobriety test, he verbally abused the officers, and he invoked his status as an elected official to try and get out of the arrest. Armstrong also suggested that a lack of competition from Democrats — Rios and the other Republicans from District 23 ran unopposed for their positions — has hurt Republicans by allowing them to endorse some unvetted candidates. "Everyone would be better served if we had more competition," he said. He was also critical of NDGOP Chair Sandi Sanford, who has flip-flopped on her call for Rios to resign. "This should be easy. This should be an easy thing to do," Armstrong said. "You either say he should resign, or not resign, or no comment. Everything else is just parsing." "I often think in politics we don't do a good job of holding our own side accountable," he added. When asked about the number of North Dakota Republicans in the headlines for various scandals over the last year, he said he's focused on the job he's doing. "I'm on a never-ending quest to prove you don't have to be crazy to be a conservative," he said. Speaking of competition, Armstrong, who has said he will be seeking re-election to his current office this year, has a challenger from Democratic-NPL candidate Trygve Hammer, who filed a statement of candidacy with the FEC this week. Armstrong called Hammer "impressive," citing his military background, but said, "I'm going to run on my record. Want to subscribe to Plain Talk? Click here for information, or search for the show wherever you get your podcasts.

House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, a Republican from Bismarck, says that shortly after Rep. Nico Rios was arrested for driving under the influence, he got a call from the Williston lawmaker. Rios acknowledged the arrest during that conversation, but according to Lefor, he left out the verbal abuse and bigoted slurs he hurled at members of the Williston Police Department involved in the arrest. "At no time did he let me know about any videos," Lefor said on this episode of Plain Talk. "I watched the video. I was deeply disappointed," he added. Lefor and other North Dakota Republican leaders, including those in Rios's legislative district, have called for the lawmaker to resign. "I don't think there's a place in the Legislature, or the party, for someone who talks like that to a police officer," he said. Rios, so far, hasn't resigned. Asked what the next steps would be if the lawmaker clings to office, Lefor raised the possibility of a recall. "I wouldn't be surprised if there was a movement to remove him from that office," Lefor said. He didn't mention the possibility of expelling Rios. That would require a vote of the full House of Representatives, and as things stand now, the Legislature won't convene again until January of 2025. But, in the mean time, Lefor says he's working on what he can do to remove Rios from the House Judiciary Committee, which handles law enforcement matters among other topics. Lefor says he wouldn't want a member of law enforcement to have to testify in front of Rios. Lefor also commented on the legal controversy around redistricting. A federal judge struck down a map drawn by lawmakers, saying it is out of compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act. The judge set a deadline for lawmakers to draw a new map, but that has come and gone as the state has appealed the ruling. The judge said he could choose a map himself if lawmakers don't act, but so far that hasn't happened. Lefor says the Legislature continues the process of developing a new map, but said at any point the judge could rule again, at which point lawmakers would have to respond. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

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.

MINOT — When you go into the voting booth on election day you have on hand a ballot that has a bunch of names on it. How do those names get there? Most of them are the nominated candidate of one party or another, but if you're an independent, there's a process you have to go through before you can be an option on election day. On this episode of Plain Talk, a Jamestown volunteer by the name of Christian Cairy joined co-host Ben Handon and me to discuss his efforts to get independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on North Dakota's statewide ballot. Cairy said his group, People 4 Kennedy, can begin collecting signatures in January, and have to get 4,000 turned in by September. Those interested in volunteering can email people4kennedynd@gmail.com. Also on this episode, Fargo-based defense Tanya Martinez talks about the Ian Cramer case. Cramer, the son of U.S. Sentator Kevin Cramer, led police on a high-speed chase that resulted in the death of a Mercer County deputy. Some social media commentators have suggested that Ian Cramer may get special treatment because of who his dad is. Martinez says she's seen no evidence in that case. She also answered questions about the charges he's facing, and what the process will look like going forward. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

This week we got news that the elected auditor of Eddy County, an office that counts local election administration among its various duties, has resigned amid a push by election-denying Republican activists. On this episode of Plain Talk, Sec. of State Michael Howe talked about the harassment and aggressive conspiracy mongering many local election officials are facing around the state. "I'm extremely concerned," he said. "Whether it's an auditor in a small county or people running for the Legislature." He said there seems to be a movement to "push good people out." Howe also answered questions about North Dakota's election process, saying it's "extremely secure." Also on this episode, Friday co-host Chad Oban and I discuss former state Sen. Tom Campbell's aggressive push keep incumbent Gov. Doug Burgum from seeking a third term. We also covered the Williston Shool Board, which survived a recall election pushed by far-right populist activists, voting to keep controversial library books on the shelves. To subscribe to Plain Talk, so you can listen on your favorite device, and be alerted when new episodes publish, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts. Or click here for more information.

North Dakota can sometimes have a reputation as being a sleepy state, but believe it or not, there are a lot of things going on. Trust me. As someone whose job it is to write about what's happening in state an local government, there just aren't enough hours in the day for me to cover all the things I'd like to write or talk about. That being said, a new source for news in the state can't be a bad thing, right? The North Dakota Monitor is a new state-based iteration of a nonprofit news organization called the States Newsroom. They fund reporters in some 38 states who cover politics, courts, government, and other matters. They don't charge for subscriptions, and they don't run ads. Their reporting is funded by donors. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Amy Dalrymple, the former editor of the Bismarck Tribune who is now heading up the Monitor, joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss it. She answered questions about what her organization will be covering, and criticism the States Newsroom organization has taken from media watchdogs like NewsGuard over their nonprofit model. Also on this episode, co-host Ben Hanson and I discuss the NDGOP hiring a new executive director, Andrew Nyhus, and the most recent court ruling about North Dakota's legislative map. District Court Judge Peter Welte is refusing to move a December 22 deadline for lawmakers to introduce a new map. Will the Legislature have to rush into their second special session of this year? Or will an appeal to the 8th Circuit, at the very least, move the deadline? To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.

Congressman Kelly Armstrong is leading a high-profile congressional delegation to an international climate summit in Dubai. It's a really big deal for North Dakota, for American, and for Armstrong, who in a still-young career in the House, has accumulated a not-small amount of clout. He spoke about it on this episode of Plain Talk. "Republicans were late to the game on this," he said of efforts by his party to engage on climate change issues. Armstrong, who is from an oil, gas, and coal-producing state, who has a professional background in the oil and gas industry, says he's looking forward to that perspective being included in climate debates. Why should pro-oil people be a part of that conversation? "Because ten years from now we're going to be using more oil than we're using today," he said. Armstrong also talked about an impeachment inquiry resolution he's introduced which he says will help House Republicans continue their investigation into President Joe Biden and his family's business activities. "It puts us in the best position before the courts to exercise our Article I authority," he said. With Gov. Doug Burgum having ended his presidential campaign, North Dakota's Senators, Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven, have both announced endorsements of President Donald Trump. Asked if he, also, has endorsed Trump, Armstrong said, "I have not." Though, it should be noted, in previous interviews Armstrong has made it clear that if given a choice between Trump and the incumbent, President Joe Biden, he'd vote for Trump. Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the implications of the tragedy involving Sen. Kevin Cramer's son, who, amid a mental health crisis, led police on a chase that resulted in the death of Mercer County Deputy Paul Martin. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.  

MINOT — Grants appropriated by state lawmakers have been making headlines recently. They may have funded the travel of a former state Senator now accused of heinous sex crimes. A group of North Dakota filmmakers recently staged a protest in the state capitol over a grant process they say was unfair. On this episode of Plain Talk, state Senator Tim Mathern, a Democrat from Fargo, joined to discuss the issue. "We're going down a slippery slope," he said. Mathern has drafted legislation that would put more reporting requirements on grants funded by the Legislature. He feels like more transparency and accountability would help, though he also argues that part of the problem is Republican dominance in Bismarck. "When you don't have a strong two-party system...we get lax and begin to do things that are edgy," he said. "This has sort of evolved through the years to the point where it's above and beyond where it should be," he added. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts, or click here for more information.