Jun. 12—GRAND FORKS — The day after a primary election narrowed the field for key statewide races in North Dakota, the heads of both major political parties have set their figurative gaze toward November’s general election.

And the state’s Republicans in particular are now throwing their weight behind a candidate who failed to get the party’s endorsement earlier this year but on Tuesday, June 11, won big nonetheless.

“Moving forward, the NDGOP remains committed to its core principles of equal rights, individual liberty, personal responsibility, free enterprise, and a family-centered future — a Republican future,” North Dakota Republican Party Chairwoman Sandi Sanford said in a statement sent to the media. “All endorsed candidates for statewide office will advance to the general election, where the party will continue to champion these values for the betterment of North Dakota.”

Republican voters had a number of choices to make Tuesday, the most notable, perhaps, being the crowded race for U.S. House of Representatives. Going into the primary, five GOP candidates were hoping to earn the party’s nomination, including Alex Balazs, Rick Becker, Julie Fedorchak, Cara Mund and Sharlet Mohr.

During the April Republican Convention in Fargo, the party gave its endorsement to Balazs, a veteran from Cando and a relatively unknown statewide candidate.

As reported at the time by Forum News Service, the endorsement process at the convention drew a deadlock.

“On the first vote,

Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak

topped

military veteran Alex Balazs, of Cando,

611-403,” Forum News Service reported. “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.”

Becker was ineligible because he had run previously outside of the Republican Party, as an independent against Sen. John Hoeven in 2022.

Amid the deadlock, Fedorchak conceded the nomination to Balazs.

Turns out, Balazs’ endorsement didn’t matter much to voters. Fedorchak won the nomination Tuesday with 43,137 votes, easily outdistancing Becker (27,771), Mund (18,343), Balazs (3,758) and Mohr (795).

On Wednesday, Sanford said the GOP is proud of Balazs.

“Alex is a true patriot and a veteran,” Sanford said. “He truly laced up to serve our country at the border and overseas. Alex has the experience to be an effective leader from day one, and those who met him on the campaign trail are pleading with him to stay in North Dakota politics.”

Meanwhile, the GOP’s Wednesday statement said, the party “trusts Republican voters and will place its full support behind Fedorchak. Her victory … underscores her strong support within the party.

Of Fedorchak particularly, Sanford said she “is well known to our party, and we know she will do North Dakota proud in D.C. Her victory is a testament to the trust that our party members have in her leadership.”

In another contested Republican primary Tuesday, Kelly Armstrong was overwhelmingly the GOP’s choice to move forward in November’s race for the governor’s office. Armstrong, who currently represents the state in the U.S. House, and his running mate, Michelle Strinden, earned 67,704 votes in the Republican primary, easily outpacing Tammy Miller-Josh Teigen, who received 24,784 votes. Armstrong’s victory was roughly 73% to 27%.

“Kelly is a fighter,” Sanford said Wednesday. “He fought for us against big-government progressives in Congress. North Dakotans are ready for Kelly’s leadership to protect our values and stabilize the Republican Party back home.”

In November’s House race, Fedorchak will face Democratic-NPL nominee Trygve Hammer, of Minot. Hammer received 13,961 votes in Tuesday’s Dem-NPL primary, beating Roland Riemers of Grand Forks, who had 4,999 votes.

In the governor’s race, Armstrong will face Democratic-NPL nominee Merrill Piepkorn.

Adam Goldwyn, chairman of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, said the party’s candidates “advance united in their commitment to solve the real problems” that affect North Dakota residents.

“As our candidates continue to meet voters in communities across the state and hear our plans for affordable health care, accessible child care, and building a competitive economic environment that works for everyone, the voters will come home to their Democratic-NPL,” Goldwyn said in a statement sent to the media.