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During the 69th Legislative Assembly, North Dakota Democratic-NPL Insider will provide updates and calls to action each day of the regular session. If you would like to have something added to the newsletter, email us at [email protected]. Spread the word of our newsletter by sharing our sign-up link today: https://demnpl.com/join-our-newsletter/.
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Rep. Julie Fedorchak is having a town hall... sort of
Rep. Julie Fedorchak is having a town hall ... sort of... it's a "telephone town hall" on Tuesday, March 25 at 6:30 PM CT, and you ~*must*~ sign up for it by Monday at 5:00 PM CT.
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Bismarck-Mandan Dem-NPL Reorganization Meeting
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Saturday, March 22, 2025 – 10:00 AM
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If you have concerns about the future of our democracy, then it is time for you to get involved in civic engagement. You are invited to join the Bismarck/Mandan Democratic-NPL party and participate in our reorganization meeting in March! No dues, no litmus test. Know that your views, suggestions, and concerns are welcome.
Mark your calendar. More details to follow!
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Coffee with Sen. Ryan Braunberger
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Saturday, March 22, 2025 – 10:00 AM
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1625 13th Ave. E., West Fargo
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Residents in Fargo-area District 10 are invited to meet with Sen. Ryan Braunberger this weekend for updates on the North Dakota Legislature's ongoing session.
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According to a release, the meeting will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 22, at Caribou Coffee, 1625 13th Ave. E., in West Fargo.
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Residents will have the opportunity to discuss issues, ask questions and engage in conversation about work being done in Bismarck, as well as connect with neighbors, the release said.
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Advance registration is not required, the release said.
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District 10 encompasses a central portion of Fargo and part of West Fargo, spanning north and south of Interstate 94.
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Walk with Cass County Dems in the St Patty's Day Parade
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Saturday, March 22, 2025 – 10:30 AM
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Let's kick it up Irish style and show Fargo Moorhead the strength and fight in the Dem NPL.
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Line up begins at Center Ave in Moorhead between 8th and 11th St. Wear your Dem gear (and a little green!) and show up between 10:30 and 10:45.
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Candy and buckets provided.
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D12 Reorg
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Sunday, March 23, 2025 – 11:30 AM
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the club room
210 3rd St SW Jamestown
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Join the District 12 DEM-NPL to elect the District Leadership we need for the next election cycle. Want to help organize positive community events? Don’t want public dollars going to private schools? Join in and make a difference. Change begins at the District level. The reorganization meeting will be March 23rd, 2024 at 11:30 am to 2 pm. Join us for a potluck to start and stay for the Jamestown Trivia at the end. We will meet at The Club Room 210 3rd St SW, Jamestown, ND
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Rally to Save USPS
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Sunday, March 23, 2025 – 1:00 PM
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Not a Dem-NPL event, but many of you may be interested in this event organized by National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 205.
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“Our jobs, our service, and the entire Postal Service are on the line. We need everyone’s help in our fight like hell against these attacks."
“These local rallies nationwide will bring together NALC members and the public to show their support for letter carriers, all postal employees, and the Postal Service,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “At a crucial time, this is an opportunity to educate our customers about everything at stake if the Postal Service is privatized or restructured.
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NALC Branch 205 Hell No! To Dismantling the Postal Service
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Sunday, March 23, 2025 – 2:00 PM
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Downtown Fargo Post Office - Federal Building
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Not a Dem-NPL event, but many of you may be interested in this event organized by National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 205.
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“Our jobs, our service, and the entire Postal Service are on the line. We need everyone’s help in our fight like hell against these attacks."
“These local rallies nationwide will bring together NALC members and the public to show their support for letter carriers, all postal employees, and the Postal Service,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “At a crucial time, this is an opportunity to educate our customers about everything at stake if the Postal Service is privatized or restructured.
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Legislative Update on Education
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Saturday, March 29, 2025 – 10:00 AM
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Rustad Recreation Center
601 26th Ave E, West Fargo
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Districts 10, 13, 16, and 21 Dem-NPL leadership are proud to invite the public to a Legislative Update on Education on March 29th at the Rustad Recreation Center in West Fargo from 10am to 12pm!
Senators Kathy Hogan (21) and Ryan Braunberger (10) and Representatives Mary Schneider (21) and LaurieBeth Hager (21) will be there to talk about their priorities with the remainder of the legislative session regarding education and by extension funding/taxes. There will be an open question segment for the public after the short addresses from each legislator.
We will have donuts and coffee courtesy of District 13!
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District 44 Legislative Forum
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Saturday, March 29, 2025 – 10:00 AM
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Roosevelt Elementary School Community Room
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Join us for our third public forum of the 2025 legislative session! Sen. Josh Boschee, Rep. Karla Rose Hanson & Rep. Austin Foss will provides updates and take questions.
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District 14 Democratic/NPL Reorganizing Meeting
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Saturday, March 29, 2025 – 12:30 PM
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Hometown Tavern
114 8th St W, Harvey
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Now is the time to get organized to fight back on the terrible trump agenda and to prepare for the 2026 elections. Join us for an optional lunch at noon (lasagna dinner for $13) or for the meeting which will start at 12:30.
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District 1 and 23 Reorganizing Meeting
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Saturday, March 29, 2025 – 2:00 PM
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Williston State College
1410 University Avenue Williston
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Come join the District 1 and 23 Dem-NPL at our reorganizing meeting! We will be meeting on March 29th at the Ready Room at Frontier Hall on the campus of Williston State College Meeting will start at 2PM.
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8th Annual Governors Dinner with Former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn
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Saturday, May 3, 2025 – 6:15 PM
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The Annual Governors Dinner Fundraiser, featuring January 6 Capitol Police officer and former Congressional candidate Harry Dunn, is May 3rd at 6:15 pm, in Mandan.
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We are so excited to welcome Mr. Dunn to ND and we hope you will plan to join us!
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Help us spread our message—share these recent posts!
FARGO ND – Following the release of Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl’s sentencing memorandum that outlines Former Republican State Senator Ray Holmberg’s pattern of sexual exploitation and abuse of children, the NDGOP released a statement about Holmberg.
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North Dakota Democratic-NPL DNC Committeeman Jamie Selzler said, “What was missing was any sort of demand that their own legislators do anything to prevent this from happening again. Who among them enabled Holmberg? Who was he bragging to about this disgusting behavior? The NDGOP statement is literally the bare minimum that would be expected in this situation. Ray Holmberg sexually abused young men and boys on the dime of the North Dakota taxpayer.
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North Dakota Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn said, “If the NDGOP is truly as disturbed as they claim to be about these crimes, they’ll immediately work to put into law full transparency of how tax dollars are spent for legislative travel, they’ll ensure that the Ethics Commission has full autonomy to both investigate and take action when legislators violate the trust placed in them, and they will proactively announce that any elected or appointed official, or any Republican Party official, who had any knowledge of Holmberg’s actions immediately resign their position. But North Dakota Republicans aren’t working to root out real predators or enact rules to prevent the abuse of power Ray Holmberg wielded. Instead, they are attacking teachers and librarians. If they want to find the real offenders, they need to realize that the call is coming from inside the house.”
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Ray Holmberg exploited staff and high school, university students for decades, court docs say
“It’s clear that Ray Holmberg not only thought he was invincible because of the power he had, but he used that power to manipulate and exploit vulnerable young men in North Dakota,” North Dakota Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn said in a statement to The Forum. “We still don’t know who else enabled Holmberg’s depraved crimes. For the sake of the survivors of his abuse and coercion, may justice be served.”
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Fargo lawmaker who filed most records requests through Legislative Council says requests shouldn't be public
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Fargo Superintendent Rupak Gandhi later told the Fargo School Board he would prioritize policies affirming trans students’ identities over following the state law.
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In his records requests, filed that August, Kasper sought records including training materials related to trans students for Fargo Public Schools faculty; correspondence between administrators and the district’s general counsel; and “recorded thought processes or mental impressions” of Gandhi's decision to defy the new law.
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McFeely: Ray Holmberg was not a 'good servant' for North Dakota
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He was the worst kind of public servant.
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He was perhaps the worst public servant in the history of North Dakota.
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Holmberg wasn't serving the public with his position and power. He used his position and power to serve himself.
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In the case to which he's pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing, Holmberg used his powerful position and taxpayer dollars to travel overseas to have sex with underage boys.
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That is the literal definition of corruption.
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DEM-NPL CHAIR ADAM GOLDWYN TALKS PARTY REORGANIZATION, PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND OPPOSITION TO TRUMP
On this episode of Legislature Today, Dem-NPL State Chairman Adam Goldwyn discusses the Democratic Party’s efforts to reorganize at the district level and strengthen its presence across North Dakota. He shares insights into the national Democratic Party’s strategy, highlighting their coordination with the DNC to push their agenda forward. A major topic of discussion is public education, with Goldwyn outlining his party’s vision and priorities for schools. He also speaks on the energy Democrats claim to be experiencing nationwide, as they rally support by positioning themselves against former President Donald Trump. Goldwyn argues that this momentum is growing, particularly among voters who oppose Trump’s policies and leadership style. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes the role of grassroots organizing and party unity in shaping future elections.
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Letter: Federal workers keep us safe, enlightened
On that day I met Nate Hughes, a ranger whose duty station is (or was until two weeks ago) the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I learned that Ranger Hughes lived in Watford City and commuted to his job at the North Unit. I am furious and heartsick to learn that he is no longer with the NPS. When you are next assisted by a federal employee, I hope you have common sense and gratitude for what they do to keep us safe and enlightened.
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Senate bill calls for study into geothermal energy
Senate Bill 2360 has legislative management providing a study into how feasible it would be for North Dakota.
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Sen. Kathy Hogan, D-Fargo, says abandoned oil wells could be repurposed for this effort.
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“We have a lot of really deep rock, and good deep rock is what you want with geothermal,” said Hogan.
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Friday Federal News Round Up - 21 March 2025
“Town Halls”
Trump’s deportations are a step to eroding U.S. citizens’ rights
Trump has invoked the Alien Enemies Act explicitly to skirt due process and the 4th amendment. They’re claiming they don’t need a warrant to enter ANY person’s house. Do you trust the administration that accidentally fired nuclear weapons workers to not make mistakes with who they are deporting?
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Former Obama advisor Dan Pfeiffer said, “The goal here is pretty clear. It is to set the stage, to till the ground for the moment Trump wants to defy a court order. Because he has not done that yet, he’s said he’s not going to do it, and he does not have the public on his side… 84% of voters believe that if a court declares something the Trump Admin is doing is illegal that Trump must abide by that order... So if you want to get to the point where you can actually do that, you have to do what they did to the media, do what they’re doing to universities, you have to destroy trust in that institution and this is the beginning part of that process.”
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One of the most disgusting things about this is that Trump and the far-right think that this will be popular. Right now they are targeting Venezuelans who they claim are gang members. Jerce Reyes Barrios, a soccer player who had protested the Maduro regime and fled to the US to escape a dictator, was just deported to a mega-prison in El Salvador. If someone stopped you on the street would you be able to prove you are here legally? Would you be able to prove you are a citizen? Soon it might not matter, Today Trump suggested deporting Americans. It’s not legal to deport U.S. Citizens but that hasn’t stopped them so far, and if they continue to abuse this power, what’s next?
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-Laura Dronen, Democratic-NPL Communications and Digital Director
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List of Social Security Offices Expected To Close In 2025
North Dakota
Address: 1414 20th Ave. SW, Minot
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Trump says Education Department will no longer oversee student loans, 'special needs'
Some 8 million federal student loan borrowers are currently in legal limbo, not making loan payments, because their Biden-era repayment plan was frozen by a judge for being potentially illegal. Borrowers also can't currently enroll in any of the federal government's income-driven repayment plans, though that is expected to change soon.
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Elon Musk Is Openly Trying to Buy Votes in Crucial Supreme Court Race
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Elon Musk is paying Wisconsin residents $100 each to sign a petition denouncing “activist” judges, collecting troves of voter data in the final days before a crucial state Supreme Court election.
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Donald Trump and the billionaire bureaucrat leading the Department of Government Efficiency have spent the last week railing against one federal judge who dared to question the administration’s deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members, who were transported to a prison in El Salvador without due process and in defiance of a federal court order.
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Trump Officially Orders Elimination of Education Department, But He Can’t Do That
With a Republican Congress bending to Trump's every whim, the judicial branch is the last check on his power—and now he, Elon, and the MAGA regime have decided to wage war against it. Meanwhile, Trump wants to ax the Department of Education and is going after colleges he doesn't like. Jon and Dan break down Trump's latest (probably illegal) moves, check in with the DOGE-bags, and dig into Trump's broader effort to dismantle the federal government. Then they dive into a new 2024 post-mortem from Blue Rose Research, revealing who voted—and why.
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Medicaid cuts rippling through rural America could bring hospital closures, job losses
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Americans living in rural communities throughout the country could see their access to health care diminish if Congress changes eligibility for Medicaid or significantly reduces its federal funding.
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While rural residents who depend on the state-federal program for lower income people would experience the most substantial impacts, those who have private health insurance or have other coverage, like Medicare, would likely encounter changes as well.
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Committees
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Every bill is voted on in the North Dakota legislature, but first, it must go through a committee hearing. The committee will vote to give the bill a "Do Pass" or a "Do Not Pass" recommendation. Below is a list of Standing Committees this legislative session.
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Senate Standing Committee Members
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Meets Monday through Friday
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Desiree Van Oosting (R-36)
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Desiree Van Oosting (R-36)
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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House Standing Committee Members
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Gretchen Dobervich (D-11)
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Cynthia Schreiber-Beck (R-25)
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Meets Monday through Friday
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Cynthia Schreiber-Beck (R-25)
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Patrick R. Hatlestad (R-1)
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Mike Motschenbacher (R-47)
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Gretchen Dobervich (D-11)
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Lisa Finley-DeVille (D-4A)
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Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
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Lawrence R. Klemin (R-47)
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Patrick R. Hatlestad (R-1)
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Lawrence R. Klemin (R-47)
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Mike Motschenbacher (R-47)
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Meets Thursday and Friday
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Lisa Finley-DeVille (D-4A)
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The Century Club supports our year-round work to build party infrastructure supporting candidate recruitment, local district and regional leadership, issue-based education, and tools for Dem-NPL success.
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Help us elect great Democrats up and down the ballot!
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The North Dakota Democratic-NPL is launching a new grassroots program called “Neighbor to Neighbor” where volunteers will connect with voters in your community to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. As a volunteer, you will be responsible for connecting with voters in 25 homes in your neighborhood or friends and family to help elect Democrats up and down the ballot about 3-4 times this year.
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Grassroots organizers are the lifeblood of the Dem-NPL! Sign up to volunteer with the Dem-NPL!
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