Kelly Armstrong Announces Run for ND Governor

by | Jan 23, 2024 | North Dakota News

BISMARCK, N.D. (Prairie Perspective) – Representative Kelly Armstrong has officially announced his candidacy for Governor of North Dakota. This announcement follows closely on the heels of Governor Burgum’s announcement that he will not be seeking a third term.

In a recent statement, Armstrong shared his vision and motivations for running:

“For the past five years as your Congressman, I’ve been fighting for North Dakota in DC. I have fought against federal overreach, a two-tiered justice system, and a radical liberal agenda. I have defended President Trump against two sham impeachments. And I have fought for state’s rights, individual liberty, and good old-fashioned common sense.

 

There’s one thing I’ve learned in that time, the solutions to our biggest challenges are not going to come from Washington. North Dakotans will always do better when we are in charge of our own destiny. That’s why I’ve decided to come home to run for Governor. I’ll take the experience I’ve gained fighting for North Dakota in DC, to help increase opportunity and success here in our state. And I am excited to get back here and work with people who are interested in finding solutions not exploiting problems for political gain.

 

North Dakota is the best state to start a business, thanks to Governor Burgum and our Republican legislature, our foundation is strong, but to take our state to the next level, we need to continue to invest in our people. We need more teachers, nurses, and skilled workers. We need to continue to invest in our communities to solve these challenges. We need smart, conservative policy that attracts lasting investment and grows opportunity.”

Keep an eye on Prairie Perspective for continuous updates and detailed coverage on this developing story. We’ll bring you the latest information as it unfolds, so make sure to stay connected with us by following on social media or signing up for our newsletter.

The Prairie Perspective

It’s time for “The Prairie Perspective” where we dive deep into the heart of current stories, offering our unique insights to kickstart the conversation. Let’s Discuss!

Exciting time for Republicans and North Dakotans in general with this announcement. Not only is this exciting because it’s nice, and not always common, to have competent depth in the political ranks which we have the good fortune of having at this time, but also because this is really going to shape things up for North Dakota politically. Kelly represented North Dakota very well in Washington and gave us an outsized voice for our state. This is primarily because of committee assignments (which include House Energy and Commerce Committee, Committee on the Judiciary the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government as well as the Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, and the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law.) and his fundraising ability, more on that later.  In short, his presence will be missed there.

So that begs the question: who will replace him, and will they have the same influence? Currently former state representative Rick Becker has thrown his hat in the ring to replace Kelly. Becker is Republican, Kind of. Becker ran for US Senate as an Independent challenging Senator Hoeven because he did not get the state endorsement at the state convention. This technically makes him ineligible to run as a Republican again for something like 6 years. Like it or not, it will be hard to win a ND race as an Independent. Plus, if he does win, will he be taken seriously in the US house? He has proven to not be able to raise meaningful campaign funds, in part to his involvement in the Bastiat caucus, which tends to vilify those with money or those who understand or have any experience in politics. Not sure what a Bastiat is? Think Theocrat. Then again, maybe he will change his tune. It wasn’t even a decade ago he was a proud Libertarian.

So, who will seek the Republican nomination at the ND state convention? I have not heard of any firm names being dropped yet but I am sure the party is looking for someone or already has someone in mind. This could very well create fireworks at the state convention as the current NDGOP leadership is very Becker friendly and may not like a challenge to him. Only time will tell at this point, but either way it should be interesting.

This brings is to the Governor race. Quite a few people have already announced, or hinted, they will run, and this includes Democrats, establishment/mainstream Republicans and Bastiat Republicans. This puts Establishment Republicans in a tough spot. They have to walk a fine line of drawing differences without further fracturing the moderate Republican wing. The Bastiats will thrive and gain power if this happens and the establishment Republicans know that. Will they ask others to get out of Kelly’s way to save the fighting? I think so to some degree but we will see. What about the Democrats you say? I think Becker has a better chance of being the president of the NAACP than a Democrat winning the Governorship in ND.

I mentioned campaign funds a few times already and I do not know who can raise more money than Kelly. Now that does not guarantee a victory, but money is a huge factor in a race. However, so is a voting record. Oftentimes, voting records can be used against candidates who have a voting record. In this case though I do believe both will be an asset for him. He has votes that appeal to many of the Republican caucuses. People will find a vote here and there they did not agree with, but then that will give him a talking point to explain the vote. The other candidates very much have an uphill battle. Let the fireworks begin.