Meet Darrell
I graduated with a BS degree with a double major in Economics and Business Administration. Professionally, I co-founded and co-owned FURNITURE FOR LESS for 25 years until retiring in December 2023. We established the business from the ground up, transforming it into a successful company with 29 employees serving the Fargo/Moorhead area. Now, at 64, I am enjoying retirement.
I’m passionate about tennis, chess, and supporting my sports teams. I also cherish spending time with my twin sister and a close friend who’s like family to me. I met Bill, a disabled veteran, when he came into my store looking for work. Unable to offer him a job, I invited him to do odd tasks like mowing the lawn. When he faced eviction from a shelter, I opened my home to him. Now, 34 years later, at 72, Bill lives with me due to health issues. I’m grateful for the support of the VA.
Platform
My platform is simple and reflective of my values as a lifelong North Dakotan- freedom, investing in our youth, and local control:
- Ensuring freedom for individuals to make personal choices without government interference
- Public funds for public schools, not public subsidies for private schools that choose who they educate and who they do not
- Local control to make decisions about our community, not state and federal lawmakers who are not members of our community and likely have never been here
- Promoting a robust workforce and economy to empower small local businesses and entrepreneurs
- Creating quality job opportunities for North Dakotans to pursue their career goals, start businesses, and achieve homeownership
- Providing family support through affordable childcare, paid family leave, and school meals for all
- Honoring and supporting our veterans
District 22 Legislative Map
District 22 is located in western Cass County. Please view the map for more information.
Endorsements
Campaign News
Our campaign event on June 18th exceeded our expectations! Fundraising was a great success with one of my good friends doubling the amount that everyone donated during the event. It was a wonderful evening of delicious food, perfect weather, and hours spent enjoying each other’s company. Thank you to all who attended and for the support!
Thank you so much to those of you that were able to make it to the June 12th’s Pride Happy Hour! It was amazing to see so many supportive community members and to have the opportunity to meet so many new people.
I am honored to be running for the ND Legislature alongside Rep. Josh Boschee, who organized this event, Austin Foss, Sen. Ryan Braunberger, and Kyle Thorson. These leaders will make fantastic legislators and colleagues.
If you were unable to be there, but would still like to contribute to make sure we can reach more voters between now and November, your one contribution will be automatically divided amongst the five of us at:
July Thoughts…
As an employer, I dealt with many issues. Some seemed insurmountable. Here is just one small example. One day my warehouse manager came into my office to give his 2-week notice. He loved the job and had worked for me for many years. He had freedom and flexibility and was doing the type of work he enjoyed, so what happened?
He told me that he had been trying to hire more labor for the past few weeks with no results. This problem brought him added responsibility and more work than he could handle.
I said we needed to look at finding a solution. I asked him about some of the personnel that had left our employment over the past year, and why they left. When their pay came up as the main reason, we decided to call the 3 most effective workers who had quit. We called them and 2 of them came back to work with a raise and maybe the knowledge that they appreciated. We saved money by avoiding the training of new staff, and avoided the gamble you take with a new hire. And my Warehouse manager stayed for several more years.
How does that translate to government???
“In most places, 911 can send only fire, police, or medical staff. But a lot has changed in the past 70 years, and Albuquerque, New Mexico is trying something new. Mayor Tim Keller has added a Community Safety Department that can be dispatched in circumstances that don’t require a police presence, such as addressing mental health calls, homelessness issues, and certain domestic situations. Employees in this department are trained in dealing with these situations and de-escalation tactics. Last year, the Community Safety Department responded to 60,000 calls, freeing up the police department to respond to situations in which they are trained, such as violent crime. Another benefit: by statute, police can only take people to jail. Similarly, EMS can bring people to hospitals. The Community Safety Department, however, has more flexibility. It can provide transportation to homeless shelters or even doctors’ offices. “
Let’s worry less about a transgender individual winning the 100-meter dash and work on solutions for problems that affect our way of life. I would bet with you that most people in my great state don’t even know a transgender man or woman. Most have never lost a shot-put competition to one, nor do many have children or grandchildren that have lost a race to one. So why do we make this the issue that burns up the time our legislatures spend in Bismarck. Low hanging fruit? Fear? Because it’s easier to win by getting their constituents to hate, rather than it is to win an election by solving important problems. Let’s put some common sense back into our state government and let’s get rid of the extremists.