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Welcome to the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Insider, a newsletter that features regular updates about upcoming Dem-NPL events, legislative happenings, and news that affects North Dakotans!
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Did you know the DNC hosts a morning news show called the Daily Blueprint that is livestreamed on YouTube weekdays at 9 AM CDT? You can watch it live or later on the DNC’s YouTube channel here.
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Dem-NPL Holiday Open House
Fargo Democratic-NPL Office
1325 23rd St S, Suite B
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Stop on by anytime between 3-6 and enjoy some treats, fellowship, and holiday cheer at our open house!
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Coffee with Friends
1545 S University Dr, Fargo
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Coffee with Friends will be held Saturday, December 20 at 9 am at Luna Coffee on South University Drive. Michael Southam will speak on the topic of immigration and his amazing work with people from Ukraine.
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YOU CAN RUN! A discussion with Jamie Harrison and Karla Rose Hanson
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Wed, January 7, 2026, 7 PM CST
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Want to make a difference? Thinking of running for office? This is for you!
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Co-hosting a discussion on why this work matters and what you need to know before you dive in - we are pleased to bring you immediate past DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and ND Rep Karla Rose Hanson.
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Williston Area District Conventions
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Saturday, January 10, 2026
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Districts 1, 23, and 26 - Districts 1 and 23 will be able to nominate a full slate of legislative candidates and District 26 will be able to nominate a state representative candidate.
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All Districts will be able to ele
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Cass County Democratic-NPL Policy Meeting
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Tues, January 13, 2026, 5:30 PM CST
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1325 23rd St S, Suite B, Fargo
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Our monthly meeting which includes representatives from the 11 Legislative Districts in Cass County, elected Legislators and staff.
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Dickinson Area Democratic-NPL meeting
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Wed, January 14, 2026 7:00 PM MST
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1325 23rd St S, Suite B, Fargo
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Districts 37, 36, and 39 meet every second Wednesday after Drinking Liberally!
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Northern Valley Dems District Conventions
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Saturday, January 24, 2026 12-3 PM CST
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1205 N 43rd St, Grand Forks
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Districts 17, 18, 19, 20, 42, and 43 - Districts 17, 19, and 43 will be able to nominate a full slate of legislative candidates and District 42 will be able to nominate a state representative candidate.
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All Districts will be able to elect delegates to the Democratic-NPL State Convention.
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District 24 Democratic-NPL Convention
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Sunday, January 25, 2026, 2 PM CST
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Gaukler Wellness Center, Room 207
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733 8th Ave SW, Valley City
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District 24 will hold its 2026 Convention and January meeting on Sunday, January 25, 2026, at the Gaukler Wellness Center, Room 207, beginning at 2:00 p.m. The Gaukler Wellness Center is located at 733 8th Ave SW, Valley City.
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The purpose of the convention is to elect delegates to the State Democratic–NPL Convention, scheduled for March 6–8, 2026, in Bismarck, North Dakota. District 24 is required to elect 13 delegates, along with a number of alternate delegates.
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In addition, we will discuss and vote to approve a District 24 document that includes our platform, resolutions, and policies.
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This convention is an important opportunity for our district to come together and discuss strategies for electing Democrats in the upcoming election.
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Please join us. Refreshments will be provided.
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Winter Blue Dinner Dem-NPL District 12
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Friday, January 30, 2026, 6 PM CST
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The Bunker
1520 3rd St SE, Jamestown
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When: January 30, 2026 at 6:00pm
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Where: The Bunker in Jamestown
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What: Homemade BBQ pork and sides, annual pie auction, silent auction, and inspiring speakers!
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Whether it’s an evening gown or crewneck sweatshirt, wear your favorite blue for this fun, family-friendly event. We look forward to intergenerational capacity building to support strong candidates in 2026, 2028, 2032 and beyond.
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Do you believe one shouldn’t have to be a self-funded millionaire to run for elected office and serve our community? We’re building an infrastructure of support for candidates with integrity, connection, and empathy.
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To reserve tickets alternatively to online, you can mail a check to:
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Bismarck Mandan Dem-NPL District Conventions
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Saturday, Feb 7, 2026 1:30 PM CST
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1205 N 43rd St, Grand Forks
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Districts 7, 8, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 47 - Districts 7, 31, 33, 35, and 47 will be able to nominate a full slate of legislative candidates.
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All Districts will be able to elect delegates to the Democratic-NPL State Convention.
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Cass County Dem-NPL District Conventions
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Saturday, Feb 7, 2026 10 AM CST
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Districts 10, 11, 13, 16, 21, 22, 27, 41, 44, 45, 46 - Districts 11, 13, 21, 27, 41, and 45 will be able to nominate a full slate of legislative candidates.
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All Districts will be able to elect delegates to the Democratic-NPL State Convention.
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Souris Valley Dem-NPL District Conventions
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Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 TBA
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Districts 3, 5, 38, and 40 - Districts 3 and 5 will be able to nominate a full slate of legislative candidates.
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All Districts will be able to elect delegates to the Democratic-NPL State Convention.
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Help us spread our message—share these recent posts!
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Congressman Earl Pomeroy speaks to looming deadline to extend the ACA health insurance subsidies
Joel Heitkamp is joined on "News and Views" by former Congressman Earl Pomeroy to talk about the Affordable Care Act. Congressman Pomeroy served as North Dakota’s at-large U.S. Representative from 1993 to 2011 and North Dakota Insurance Commissioner from 1985 through 1992.
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On the night that the House passed the Affordable Care Act in March 2010, Congressman Pomeroy cast the 218th out of 219 votes to pass the bill. Then that November, he was one of 63 Democrats who lost their seats because of his support for the 2010 health care law, sometimes known as Obamacare.
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As we near the end of the year, it's looking likely that Congress will leave without extending Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies. The enhanced subsidies for ACA marketplace plans will expire, spiking premiums for millions of Americans, with many seeing the price tag of their plans double or triple.
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North Dakota ag producers could ‘walk away’ from health insurance, Farmers Union warns
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“The bulk of the people that are going to be impacted are hard-working folks,” Boyer said during a breakout session at the organization’s annual convention in Bismarck on Friday.
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For example, Boyer cited a married couple in their 30s who earn between $50,000 and $60,000 a year and have a daughter. They expect to see health insurance premiums increase $300 per month next year.
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Endangered Species Act offers safety net
They brought back the “God Squad,” a federal committee that can override endangered species protections when industry wants it. They reversed conservation rules that helped restore damaged ecosystems. They proposed weakening habitat protections for species already struggling to survive. And they pushed thousands of oil and gas leases forward on public lands without full environmental review. Each of these decisions shifts the balance even further toward corporations and away from the health of our land, water, and communities.
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North Dakota names first female Supreme Court chief justice
Lisa Fair McEvers has been elected the first female chief justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court.
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She earned about 83% of the vote by sitting justices and district court judges. Justice Jerod Tufte, who also sought the role as chief justice, received about 16% of the vote.
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“I will work to the best of my ability to serve all the judiciary,” Fair McEvers said after the ballots were counted by court staff Wednesday morning in the Capitol’s Judicial Wing.
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Joel speaks with the new President of North Dakota Farmers Union, Matt Perdue
Matt Perdue, a farmer from Ray, was elected President of North Dakota Farmers Union this past weekend. He is just the tenth person to hold that leadership position and the youngest at 33 years of age. He previously worked at North Dakota Farmers Union and National Farmers Union.
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Port: How do you have a legislative hearing about crime with no crime report?
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Wrigley should release the crime report (my guess is that it'll now get dumped during the holiday doldrums when few are paying attention) and apologize for its tardiness.
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Myrdal should apologize for this travesty of a hearing, and either step down as chair, or commit herself to a more fairly-managed debate around this issue.
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Poll: Inflation dents North Dakota holiday spending spirit
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A primary influence of this is concern about how tariffs and trade policy impact food prices, jobs and the economy, with 56% of those polled saying they had either a little or a lot of worry over those impacts.
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“The poll shows that North Dakota consumers are feeling the pinch from higher prices, that are at least partially the result of tariffs.” said John Bitzan, Menard Family Director of the Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth at North Dakota State University.
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“While some retailers have been able to do things like buying inventories early and earning smaller margins in order to pass on less of the tariff costs to consumers, these options dwindle the longer the tariffs are in place,” Bitzan said. “I think people are finally seeing the price increases and are worried that these price increases will become even bigger over time.”
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​What Harm Reduction Reveals About Our Failures (and Our Future)
If we choose stability, housing, support, evidence-based care and harm reduction, we can build a future where fewer people fall through the cracks and more people can recover. That future is within reach. The only real question is whether we will build the conditions that make it possible.
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Democrat Trygve Hammer considers another run for U.S. Congress
OPEN RANGE: TRYGVE HAMMER ON SERVICE, LEADERSHIP, AND AMERICA’S FUTURE
On this powerful episode of Open Range, host Gary Emineth sits down with Trygve Hammer to talk about his run for Congress and the values that shaped his life of service. Trygve is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, a military pilot, and a veteran who served in both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. His experience includes deployment in Iraq and diplomatic work at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, giving him a rare view of both the battlefield and the global stage.
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Trygve shares his personal philosophy, grounded in duty, discipline, and love of country. He explains why leadership matters now more than ever and how his military and international experience shaped his views on America’s role at home and abroad. This conversation dives deep into character, accountability, and what it truly means to serve the American people. It’s a thoughtful, no-nonsense discussion that challenges viewers to think about leadership, freedom, and the future of our nation
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‘Unbelievably grateful’: Lisa Fair McEvers reflects on journey to ND’s first female Chief Justice
“I only have achieved that by standing on the shoulders of the women who went before me, and with the support of both men and women who mentored and supported me through the years,” said McEvers.
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Committee names new member to North Dakota Ethics Commission, ending impasse
North Dakota leaders appointed Jared Huibregtse to the North Dakota Ethics Commission on Tuesday, ending a nearly two-month stalemate over who to appoint to an open four-year seat on the commission.
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Huibregtse is a Mandan resident and project manager for an engineering firm.
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The selection committee consists of Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Senate Majority Leader David Hogue and Senate Minority Leader Kathy Hogan.
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Hogue and Hogan supported reappointing commissioner Murray Sagsveen, which Armstrong firmly opposed.
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Sagsveen withdrew his name from consideration in a Thursday letter to Armstrong.
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Joel Heitkamp speaks with Brown University alum, Cally Musland, about the school shooting
Cally Musland Peterson is the Editor of North Dakota Living and former Producer for “News and Views,” but also an alum of Brown University in Rhode Island. She joins Joel on KFGO to talk about the recent shooting at Brown University. The shooting left two students dead and nine others injured at the Ivy League school, and the suspect hasn't been found as of this interview.
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Chris Gibbs and Joel Heitkamp recap Trump's speech and speak to our farmers
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Chris Gibbs is an Ohio Farmer, and former Chair of the Republican Party in Selby County Ohio, serving for seven years until 2015. He was then elected as the Chair of the Democratic Party in Selby County in Ohio. He’s also the Chair of Rural Voices USA and the Chair of Gateway Arts.
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He's become a good friend of "News and Views," and joins Joel again to talk about President Trump's recent address to the Nation regarding our economy, farmers, and more.
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Letter: Should we fear populism today?
There is a ballot measure push set to be launched in January aimed at restructuring funding for school lunches which could save ND families money on lunch for their kids in school. This populism is what we should fight for, and our politicians of conscience should support.
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How anyone can look around at the economic status quo and say that books in a library or the bathrooms that kids use are our biggest issues that must be policed, I’ll never know. If politicians in North Dakota would stand up to say enough is enough and fight for our workers, I imagine they’d find success.
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North Dakota law accidentally lists fake critical minerals based on coal lawyers’ names
The inclusion of fictional substances is being called an embarrassment by one state official, a possible practical joke by coal industry leaders and mystifying by the lawmakers who worked on the bill.
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The fake minerals are friezium and stralium, apparent references to Christopher Friez and David Straley, attorneys for North American Coal who were closely involved in drafting the bill and its amendments. Straley said they were not responsible for adding the fake names.
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Check out these messages from national Democrats
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NEW POLLING: Americans Can’t Afford This Holiday Season Because of Trump’s Disastrous Economy
“While Donald Trump hits primetime television to tout that he has ‘lowered prices’ and ‘fixed inflation,’ millions of Americans are wondering how they will afford this holiday season. Americans are already struggling with soaring costs and job losses, and now they’re worrying about how they’ll afford health care next year. Yet Trump has the audacity to tell working families to buy fewer toys for their kids to get through the holidays — as he doubles down on his reckless trade war that’s raising prices. Trump doesn’t care about everyday Americans — he only cares about himself.”
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Blackmail evidence? Lawmaker says Epstein photos show sex acts, 'compromising positions'
House Democrats have released more photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate. MS NOW's Ari Melber reports and is joined by Molly Jong-Fast and Michelle Goldberg.
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Susie Wiles, JD Vance, and the “Junkyard Dogs”: The White House Chief of Staff On Trump’s Second Term (Part 1 of 2)
Trump, she told me, “has an alcoholic’s personality.” Vance’s conversion from Never Trumper to MAGA acolyte, she said, has been “sort of political.” The vice president, she added, has been “a conspiracy theorist for a decade.” Russell Vought, architect of the notorious Project 2025 and head of the Office of Management and Budget, is “a right-wing absolute zealot.” When I asked her what she thought of Musk reposting a tweet about public sector workers killing millions under Hitler, Stalin, and Mao, she replied: “I think that’s when he’s microdosing.” (She says she doesn't have first-hand knowledge.)
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Susie Wiles Talks Epstein Files, Pete Hegseth’s War Tactics, Retribution, and More (Part 2 of 2)
The Epstein files debacle poses a dire political threat to Trump and the future of the GOP. “The people that are inordinately interested in Epstein are the new members of the Trump coalition, the people that I think about all the time—because I want to make sure that they are not Trump voters, they’re Republican voters,” Wiles said. “It’s the Joe Rogan listeners. It’s the people that are sort of new to our world. It’s not the MAGA base.”
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‘This cover-up has to end’: Oversight Dem calls on DOJ to release ‘entirety’ of Epstein files
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are examining “all legal options” after the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated not all of the Epstein files would be released today. Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), a member of the Oversight committee, joins Chris Jansing to discuss the DOJ deadline to publicly release the files.
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America's new top health diplomat has strong opinions on abortion and gender
"There's been speculation that there's an intention by the U.S. government to expand the Helms Amendment beyond abortion to include LGBTQ's as well," says Musoba Kitiu, director of Ipas Africa Alliance, a non-profit that works to provide access to abortion and contraception. He's concerned that health groups that serve those populations could lose funding. That speculation is backed up by reporting from The Daily Signal that the administration is planning to prohibit U.S. aid funding for "gender ideology and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives."
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Given LBTQ people are often at higher risk for diseases like HIV, such policies could make these communities even more vulnerable, says Kitiu.
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"We could see more marginalization, inequality, spikes of infection," he says. While many African governments signing these deals understand those dynamics, Kitui says they may still agree to more restrictive conditions as aid cuts have "starved health systems to a point of desperation."
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Trump not ruling out war with Venezuela
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is leaving the possibility of a war with Venezuela on the table.
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"I don’t rule it out, no," he told NBC News in a phone interview.
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Trump on Tuesday ordered a "blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers coming and going from Venezuela, increasing pressure on the country's president, Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. recently seized an oil tanker captured near Venezuela, as well.
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House Democrats release more photos from Epstein’s estate
The photos released Thursday were among more than 95,000 that the House Oversight Committee has received after issuing a subpoena for the photos that Epstein had in his possession before he died in a New York jail cell in 2019. Congress has also passed, and President Donald Trump has signed, a law requiring the Justice Department to release its case files on Epstein, and his longtime girlfriend and confidante Ghislaine Maxwell, by Friday. Anticipation about what those files will show is running high after they have been the subject of conspiracy theories and speculation about his friendships with Trump, former President Bill Clinton, the former Prince Andrew, and others.
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Can the President give you PTSD?
For 19 minutes last night, President Trump used the same tone and tenor I once heard my younger sisters use when they presented their arguments for why our family needed a pet cockatiel. Their little pre-teen voices were loud and nervous.
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The President also sounded loud and nervous in his economic “reset” attempt last night. But the real problem was the content of his remarks: touting a tariff policy that has been flawless and low prices in groceries, and gasoline, among several other inventive reinterpretations of reality.
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ICYMI: Thousands of Idahoans Cancel Health Insurance Plans on Exchange Ahead of Subsidies Ending
Idaho’s health insurance exchange ended open enrollment Monday night, with thousands of Idahoans canceling plans ahead of the expiration of deep federal government subsidies… ‘Idaho is about to be ground zero for a national health care affordability crisis — not because Idahoans did anything wrong, but because Republicans in Congress refuse to act.’
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BREAKING: House Republicans Refuse to Address Skyrocketing Health Care Costs
“Once again, Republicans have chosen billionaires over everyday Americans, leaving more than 20 million people facing skyrocketing health care premiums. Their disastrous ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ already gutted Medicaid and will shutter rural hospitals around the country, and now their only ‘plan’ would raise costs for working families already forced to choose between paying for groceries, rent, and prescription drugs. Democrats have put forward a common-sense plan to extend the ACA tax credits, but time and again, Republican leaders shot it down and chose to double health costs for families, farmers, and small businesses. Americans are tired of Republicans screwing around with their health care — and they will make it known next November.”
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Exclusive: Trump’s FEMA council to recommend dramatic downsizing and overhaul – but not elimination – of the agency
Noem and other DHS leaders also have slashed key grant programs, including the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, a move that’s now tied up in court battles.
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State emergency management officials have been sounding the alarm for months, warning that critical FEMA funds aren’t reaching communities, leaving many to wonder what help will be available when the next disaster strikes.
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‘Chief Enabler’: Nicolle Wallace reacts to Susie Wiles shockingly honest view of Trump and cabinet
Miles Taylor, Former Chief of Staff at DHS during Donald Trump’s first term in office, Join Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House to discuss the explosive and shockingly honest interview given by Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles to Vanity Fair where the person who runs the West Wing in the Trump White House called out the likes of Vice President JD Vance, former Special Government employee Elon Musk, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, and what it says about what types of guardrails if any exist one year into Trump’s return to power.
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New student loan rule could dissuade people from advanced nursing degrees
Clarke, an ICU nurse in Asheville, North Carolina, wants to get her master’s degree to become a nurse practitioner or a certified registered nurse anesthetist — occupations in high demand — and eventually work toward a doctoral degree.
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But new borrowing limits on federal student loans may hinder her from reaching that goal.
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A provision in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the tax and spending law enacted this summer, overhauls the federal student loan program for graduate students in an effort to simplify the loan process and discourage colleges from raising tuition.
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Inside Stephen Miller’s Dark Plot to Build a MAGA Terror State
Miller’s obsession with sheer numbers—the amounts of various categories of immigrants who are either in the United States or trying to get here—borders on pathological. Take his handling of undocumented immigrants. Miller has repeatedly raged at Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials for arrest numbers he deems too low. Since the summer, arrests have hovered at around 1,000 daily. But he’s demanding 3,000 arrests per day, a pace of about one million people per year. To that end, The New York Times reports, the administration has already shifted thousands of federal law enforcement personnel into deportations, hampering critical efforts to combat serious crimes like child and drug trafficking. What’s more, ICE itself is arresting a lot of undocumented immigrants who are not dangerous criminals, diverting resources away from arresting the latter.
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Donald Trump’s Remarks on the Death of Rob Reiner Are Next-Level Degradation
Remember what the President said by way of reply to Erika Kirk’s gesture of Christian love? “I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them.” And he said this in a eulogy. And so it is worth asking, do you know anyone quite as malevolent? At your place of work? On your campus? A colleague? A teacher? Much less someone whose impulses and furies in no small measure dictate the direction, fate, and temper of the country? Have you ever in your life encountered a character as wretched as Donald Trump?
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Americans Deserve Better This Holiday Season
This holiday season, working families across the country are paying more due to Trump’s failed economic policies. Despite his promise to bring down prices on Day One, Trump’s policies have done the complete opposite. Now, everyday Americans are paying more for health care, groceries, and electricity amid a painfully expensive holiday season that’s forcing consumers to cut back on holiday shopping. While Trump builds a gilded ballroom, throws Great Gatsby parties, and lines his own pockets, working families are being forced to pinch their pennies. To make matters worse, Trump has dismissed Americans’ growing concerns about affordability — saying, “affordability is a hoax” and declaring that he “fixed” inflation.
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Share these Dem-NPL Graphics!
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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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