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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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State Convention is next week!
This year's convention theme is "Unite For Our Future" - a call to action grounded in shared democratic values and collective responsibility.
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At a moment when division threatens progress, we come together - across generations, communities, and regions - to reaffirm that democracy works best when everyone has a voice and a stake in what comes next. This convention is about leadership rooted in hope, action over cynicism, and unity as the engine of lasting change. Together, we are not just defending democracy - we are building a future worthy of the next generation.
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Here is a condensed schedule of events
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Friday, March 6 (Open to anyone, you do not need a guest pass for the events on Friday)
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Bavendick Stateroom, National Energy Center of Excellence, BSC
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5:30 PM - Welcome Reception hosted by BisMan Dems Leadership (Free)
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6:30 PM - Dinner with Democrats featuring Ron Harris ($100)
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Advance Technology Center
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8:00 AM - Registration begins
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8:00 AM - Breakfast (Included with Delegate/Alternate fee)
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9:30 AM - Official Business Begins
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12:30 PM - Casual Lunch (Included with Delegate/Alternate fee)
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12:45 PM - VIP Luncheon with Heidi Heitkamp ($100)
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Keynote Address with Denver Mayor Mike Johnston
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6:00 PM - Dinner (Included with Delegate/Alternate fee)
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7:30 PM - Legislative Victory Fund Karaoke Fundraiser ($25)
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9:00 AM - Candidate Training (More information to come!)
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Weren't able to make it to your District Convention and want to be a delegate to the state convention? Let us know! Spots are filling up fast!
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District 22 - Run for Office Virtual 5K
District 22 is hosting its first annual virtual 5K! Registration is happening now through February 27, 2026. You can complete the 5K (3.1 miles) any time, anywhere through March 31, 2026.
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Break the distance up into smaller segments or get it done in one go. Hop on your treadmill, go outside, walk or run alone or with friends.
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Keep an eye out for in-person meet-ups if you are local to the Fargo-West Fargo area during the month of March!
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Finally Friday Social!
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Fri, Feb 27, 2026 6:00 PM CST
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Every Friday, come celebrate the start of the weekend with the Souris Valley Dem-NPL!
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District 2 February Meeting
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Sat, Feb 28, 2026 6:00 PM CST
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Building on the success of our January Convention, we will meet to hear from U.S. House candidate Trygve Hammer. Trygve was unable to join us at the Convention as planned due to the passing of his father that day. Other agenda items will include planning for upcoming elections, planning for the March 28th No Kings protest, and final preparations for our state convention delegates.
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North Dakota Democrats are fired up to run for office this year!
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Districts 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, 31, 33, and 35 have all endorsed full slates, and most Districts have endorsed at least one candidate for the Legislature! If you want to run, this is the year to do it! Let us know if you are interested!
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Century Club Update
The goal of this State Party is to win elections. When we do that, Dem NPL legislators and state office holders will once again work for you. Reaching 500 Century Club members is the first threshold we need to meet in order to sustain our organizing staff to meet the campaign demands for the upcoming, and crucial, midterm elections; and to build this party to take back power in Bismarck and DC.
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Our Finance Director Colin Helfenstein said, "We are up to 437, up from 414 at the beginning of the month! Our top 3 Districts are D11 with 29 members, D46 with 27 members, and D44 with 25 members."
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Help us spread our message—share these recent posts!
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North Dakota Democrats field more challengers for legislative seats
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Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, said District 11 Democrats had a stronger turnout at their recent meeting than in “probably a decade.”
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“I am hoping that this demonstrates a resurgence on the part of our citizens,” said Mathern, who is seeking reelection.
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In District 13 in West Fargo, Republican legislative candidates ran unopposed four years ago. But this year, District 13 Democrats endorsed three candidates, including state Senate candidate Landis Larson, who recently retired as president of the North Dakota AFL-CIO.
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“I saw the biggest turnout I’ve seen in all the time I’ve gone to those things, which has been quite a while,” Larson said. “There’s a lot more excitement, and I think the political landscape has got people wound up.”
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ND Farmers Union, Dem-NPL party applaud Supreme Court decision to overturn Trump’s tariffs
“Trump’s tariffs thrust our farmers into the worst crisis they’ve faced since the 1980s. The Supreme Court’s ruling matches what we already knew — that these disastrous tariffs were illegal, but the damage is already done. North Dakota small businesses have closed. Working families are barely making ends meet. Our farmers’ trade markets have been destroyed. Fedorchak, Hoeven, and Cramer have been asleep at the wheel while North Dakotans suffer.”
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More than 100 Fargo South students lend their voices to ICE protests
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Alessa Mcveain, a junior, said all people should be welcome here.
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“Liberty and justice for all, like it says in the pledge,” she said.
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The student protest drew the attention of residents in the area and passing drivers, some of whom gave shouts and honks of approval.
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Port: North Dakota lawmaker claims colonoscopies cause cancer
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In response to those columns, a reader flagged something I missed late last year from a meeting of the North Dakota Legislature's Rural Health Transformation Committee, which at the time was working on developing a plan for how our state would spend an influx of federal dollars on improving access to health care in rural areas. During a Dec. 5, 2025, meeting of the committee, while North Dakota Medicaid Director Sarah Aker was taking questions, Sen. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, launched into a jeremiad against vaccination and cancer screening.
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"I can't help but wonder, are there any studies on the vaccines?" he asked Aker, going on to attribute rising instances of arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, COPD and cancer to increased vaccination rates.
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"I know when I was young, I remember getting in line and getting shots in school. And I think I had seven shots, and now they're getting way more than that," Magrum said. "I don't even know the number, but I'm just wondering ... is there any look back at all on studies from the vaccines from the '70s? There's gotta be a lot of information out there. Is North Dakota looking at any of that at all right now?"
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ND Dem-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn
Guest host Jamie Selzler welcomes ND Dem-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn for a preview of the state convention and the push to recruit candidates across the state.
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Reviewing the State of The Union
Guest host Jamie Selzler welcomes Congressman Earl Pomeroy for a discussion of the State of The Union address given by President Trump.
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ND District 7 Candidates
Guest host Jamie Selzler welcomes Jason Thoms and Tiffany Williams-Rice to discuss their run for the North Dakota Legislature and what priorities they will have if elected.
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Port: When lawmakers say the free meals measure will risk school funding, it's a threat
During their special session last month, North Dakota lawmakers had an opportunity to get ahead of a ballot measure that would cover the cost of school meals for families, and they punted. Most lawmakers voted for Rep. Mike Nathe's bill to implement that law in state statute (the ballot measure, unfortunately, is a constitutional amendment), but not enough of the "yes" votes were in the Senate.
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It failed for want of one flipped vote, so now the voters will almost certainly approve the aforementioned measure at the ballot. I say "almost certainly," because every public survey taken — and there's been several of them from multiple sources — shows that something approaching 80% of the public approves of the idea.
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Cold snap, prices cause drop in December oil, gas production
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It was not a December to remember for oil and gas production in North Dakota.
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Officials with the Department of Mineral Resources say both oil and gas production dropped about six percent compared to November.
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The state produced more than 1.12 million barrels a day, which was the lowest monthly total for 2025. Meanwhile, the state produced more than 3.3 billion cubic feet a day.
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Candidate for Fargo City Commission Anna John
Guest host Jamie Selzler is joined in studio by candidate for Fargo City Commission Anna Johnson. We chat with Anna about why she decided to run and what she plans to do with the job if elected.
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International Trade Policy Impacts on Local Business
Sean Syverson, Swing Barrel Brewing, joins Afternoons Live with Tyler Axness to discuss a recent meeting with Senator Amy Klobuchar where they discussed the impacts of international trade policy on small businesses.
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Check out these posts from national Democrats
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After the Supreme Court's ruling on tariffs, companies line up for refunds
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat and Trump antagonist, is demanding a refund on behalf of his state's 5.11 million households. In a letter addressed to Trump and released by Pritzker's gubernatorial campaign, the governor said the tariffs had cost each Illinois household $1,700 — or $8.7 billion. Pritzker said failure to pay will elicit "further action.''
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Kai Ryssdal on Why the Economy Isn’t as Strong as It Looks | Prof G Conversations
Kai Ryssdal, host and senior editor of Marketplace, joins Scott Galloway to assess the contradictions at the heart of today’s economy.
They discuss the “low hire, low fire” labor market, why consumer sentiment feels worse than the headline data suggests, and how tariffs are quietly working their way into higher prices. Kai also shares his skepticism about the AI boom, whether white-collar workers should be worried, and why income inequality continues to widen despite record markets.
The conversation also explores prediction markets, national service, military leadership, and the future of public media.
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BREAKING: Whistleblower says Kash Patel's use of FBI planes has harmed investigations
MS NOW exclusively reports that a whistleblower has told Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) that FBI Director Kash Patel's use of his government jet has harmed investigations. This includes delaying the Brown University shooting response. MS NOW Senior Investigative Reporter Carol Leonnig joins Katy Tur with more details.
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Absence of Trump-related docs in Epstein files is 'really glaring': Attorney
Democrats are demanding answers after new reporting from MS NOW and NPR show the Justice Department withheld Trump-related documents from their release of Epstein files. MS NOW Senior Legal Reporter Lisa Rubin and former federal prosecutor Berit Berger join Ana Cabrera to share their analysis.
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A White House Staffer Appears to Run Massive Pro-Trump X Account
A popular right-wing account that called a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes "a masterpiece" appears to be run by a White House staffer, according to records reviewed by WIRED.
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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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