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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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Make America Good Again Campaign
Our candidates are furiously fundraising right now, and one of the best ways we can support them is by hitting the streets and the phones to talk to voters.
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Statewide: Mondays at 6 pm - Minivan training and office hours with Andrea
Mon 6:30-8 pm Doorknocking and phonebanking - Cass County
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Tues 6-8 Doorknocking and phonebanking - Cass County
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Wed 6-8 Doorknocking and phonebanking - Cass County
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Thurs 6-8 Doorknocking and phonebanking - Cass County
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Sat 11-3 (2 shifts) Doorknocking and phonebanking - Cass County
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Sat afternoons Doorknocking and phonebanking - Minot area
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We are so excited to have 3 all organizers on staff to drive the Make American Good Again Campaign! Andrea Alfson is working in Fargo, and all of Region 8; Sarah Grossbauer will be starting July 1, covering the greater Grand Forks area; and Nicole DesRosier continues working in Minot and the western regions. They all bring so much experience to our team to make sure volunteers not only stay on track with our goals but also make sure we all have some fun along the way.
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Float Decorating
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Please bring signs and/or any decorations you may have. If you need a Dem or Candidate t-shirt to wear on Saturday, please contact Mike Thiesen, Hammer for ND, Thompson 4 ND, or Nicole DesRosier.
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Bookworms & Bake Sale for Katie Benton's Senate Campaign
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Fri, Jul 17, 4:00pm-8:00pm CDT & Sat, Jul 18 9am - 1pm
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620 28th Ave S, Grand Forks
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Former teacher, Katie Benton, is clearing her shelves for stronger public schools.
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Friday, July 17: 4 pm - 8 pm
Saturday, July 18th: 9 am - 1 pm
Learn more about Katie Benton
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demnpl.com/katiebentond17
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North Dakota State Fair Parade!
Souris Valley Dem-NPL float:
DATE: July 18
TIME: 8:15am
LOCATION: #70 by I. Keating Carpet One between floats of C+C Tree & Snow and Minot Health
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North Dakota Dem-NPL float:
DATE: July 18
TIME: 8:15am
LOCATION: #83 by Burger King, between floats of Servpro and Sons of Liberty
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Everyone in the parade gets into the fair for free on Saturday
Please hand candy to each person instead of tossing it
Don't forget the adults! They like candy too. There will be some lifesavers available to give to them.
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Edit this to insert text.
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Discussing health care concerns in the ND with Kathleen Bartholomew
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Fri, July 24, 9-10:30 and 3-5
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Fargo Democratic-NPL Office
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Come discuss Health Care in ND with Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN. She is an internationally acclaimed speaker and educator who uses the power of story and her strong background in sociology to illuminate and transform the healthcare culture.
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100 Days Out Campaign
Knock on doors in any district in the state (2 hour shift)
Make calls for statewide and legislative candidates (2 hour shift)
Sign up to host a house party in August or September
Sign up to table in a public space with Commit to Vote
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Canvassing in Valley City Barnes County
1226 9th St SW Valley City, ND 58072
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- Door knocking begins at 10 AM. Please arrive at 9:15 AM to receive your ‘Turf’ (the map of houses/doors you are meant to knock on) and important canvassing instructions. We’ll meet at our Canvassing HQ in Valley City -1226 9th St SW Valley City, ND 58072. All volunteers are heavily encouraged to go door knocking with a buddy.
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- In the meantime, I encourage anyone Planning on participating to download the miniVAN app on Google Play Store or Apple Store. Then, login by creating an Action ID. If you cannot create an Action ID, then just hold tight until the big day. I’ll be there to help you set up the app.
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- Please bring bottled water, chargers, snacks, comfy sneakers, and your car. Getting great candidates elected takes a lot of work so come prepared!*
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More details will be provided later as well as on the day of the event.
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Folks, farmers are struggling to break even, input costs are skyrocketing, and our DC delegation is sitting on their hands. Vern and all Dem-NPL Statewide Candidates are ready to fight for the working people. So, it’s time to do what the District 24 Dem-NPL does best. It’s time to stand in solidarity and get some working-class candidates in office! Turning ND blue will take a village, District 24 is up to the challenge. I hope to see you all on July 25.
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Community Meet & Greet
338 Wintershow Road, Valley City
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Join us for a Community Meet & Greet on Saturday, July 25, beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Sabir's Restaurant, 338 Wintershow Road, Valley City.
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Trygve Hammer – Candidate for U.S. House
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Vern Thompson – Candidate for North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner
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Tim Lamb – Candidate for North Dakota Attorney General
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Scot Kelsh – Candidate for North Dakota Public Service Commission
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Following the conclusion of the canvas activities earlier that day, we'll gather for a casual opportunity to meet some of our Dem-NPL statewide candidates. Visit one-on-one and learn more about their vision for Barnes County and the State of North Dakota.
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Light snacks, water, and soda will be provided. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions, hear brief remarks from each candidate, and connect in an informal setting.
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Campaign materials, brochures, yard signs, and other campaign items will be available. If you're inspired by what you hear, please consider supporting these candidates with a financial contribution to help advance their campaigns.
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Whether you're looking to learn more about the candidates, ask questions about the issues that matter most to you, or show your support, we hope you'll join us for an enjoyable afternoon of conversation, community, and civic engagement.
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People's Town Hall - Rugby
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Thu, Jul 30, 6:00pm-9:00pm CDT
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Dakota Farms Restaurant Rugby - there will be free Pizza!
308 US-2, Rugby
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Real change starts with real conversations. Hear from our candidates and have your questions answered at our People's Town Hall in Rugby!
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Help us spread our message—share these recent posts!
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New data shows ND and MN households spent hundreds more on gas since start of Iran war
North Dakota Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn said, “This deadly and costly war with Iran continues to drive up costs for North Dakota families with no relief in sight. While Trump spends hundreds of millions of dollars on vanity projects and wine-and-dines his billionaire buddies, North Dakota families are forced to break the bank and dip into their hard-earned savings to make ends meet. Where are Julie Fedorchak, Kevin Cramer, and John Hoeven? They have completely abdicated their duty for Congressional oversight. Democratic-NPL lawmakers and candidates are fighting hard every day to lower costs and make life affordable for your family.”
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Dem-NPL SOS Candidate Senator Ryan Braunberger says North Dakotans can trust our elections
Senator Ryan Braunberger, Candidate for North Dakota Secretary of State, said, “As your next Secretary of State, I can guarantee that North Dakota elections are secure and accurate. The tabulation machines in North Dakota are not connected to the internet and have a secure data stick that is uploaded to the Secretary of State by county officials. Every county in the state has a canvassing board made up of Democrats and Republicans that verifies the information is accurate within 14 days. We have amazing volunteers who believe in the election process and want it to be accurate and fair! If the President is really concerned with the security of the elections, he would not be dismantling the election assistance commission that helps states secure their elections.
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Dem-NPL Candidates and Lawmakers affirm their commitment to School Meals for All
Candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction Tracy Layne Foss remarked, “As an educator, I’ve seen firsthand that students learn best when their basic needs are met. Universal school meals are one practical step toward ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of where they live or their family’s financial circumstances. Research consistently shows that proper nutrition improves a student’s ability to learn, focus, and participate in the classroom. Providing nutritious meals should be viewed as an investment in student success, just like investing in great teachers, quality curriculum, and safe schools. I believe it’s time to let the people of North Dakota decide whether this is an investment worth making.”
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District 11 Dems endorse Cara Cody-Braun to run for the seat of the late Rep. Liz Conmy
“I am looking forward to meeting members of District 11 at their doors and in the community. Being visible will be key because, due to unfortunate circumstances, I am getting a late start in the race for the house,” Cody-Braun said in the release.
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West Fargo will explore ways to collect community input on data centers
The mayor said the motion is simply to get city staff working on options for community outreach, both to dispel rumors and misinformation, but also to gauge the community's priorities.
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"Is West Fargo open to that kind of development?" Gjerdevig said. "Are we not? That empowers us as a commission, and I think it empowers us from an economic development perspective — knowing that answer."
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Letter: Stop hiding behind NDAs
We recognize this industry is coming whether we like it or not. What is of paramount concern is the failure of data center developers to be open and honest with citizens. Non-disclosure agreements and lack of full disclosure of project details spawn distrust. Developer actions and pressure on county commissioners divide communities into pro-built vs. anti-build, pitting residents against each other. Landowners have the right to sell their property, but the millions of dollars developers offer landowners in secrecy and the disregard for neighbors who will have to live with those industrial centers is divisive.
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North Dakota could pay millions for high SNAP error rate
Under a federal law passed last year, that means the state may have to pay 10% of its residents’ benefits — or nearly $13 million — every fiscal year unless it can bring its error rate below 6%.
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A SNAP payment error occurs when a household receives more or fewer benefits than it’s entitled to because of a mistake in the process. It’s not a measure of fraud. In 2025, 9.89% of SNAP approvals in North Dakota over- or underestimated a household’s benefits.
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SNAP, previously known as food stamps, supplements low-income households’ food budgets.
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House Resolution 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, was signed into law in July 2025. It requires states with payment error rates over 6% to pay a percentage of their residents’ benefits, with higher-error states paying more.
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New data shows ND and MN households spent hundreds more on gas since start of Iran war
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North Dakota Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn said President Donald Trump’s war continues to drive up costs for families with no relief in sight.
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“While Trump spends hundreds of millions of dollars on vanity projects and wine-and-dines his billionaire buddies, North Dakota families are forced to break the bank and dip into their hard-earned savings to make ends meet,” Goldwyn said in a Dem-NPL news release.
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McFeely: Once more with feeling, ND politicians. What is it, exactly, we're doing in Iran?
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Apparently self-declared winners of wars give the losers everything they want, including dropping sanctions, unlocking assets and allowing them to control waterways critical to the world economy.
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Alternate-universe stuff.
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A clearer-eyed summation comes from Max Boot, a fellow at The Council on Foreign Relations.
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“In sum, the Iran war cost a lot—in economic, military, and human terms—and delivered little tangible benefit. It may, in fact, embolden and empower Iran. Tehran can now boast of having survived a joint U.S.-Israel attack and emerging with its regime intact, even if a few of the players at the top have changed. Iran can now use the funds it receives from the lifting of sanctions and unfreezing of assets to rebuild not only its economy but also its military capacity — and to increase support for proxy groups like Hezbollah,” wrote Boot.
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Blanche not worthy of being confirmed, says Dem-NPL AG Candidate Tim Lamb
Tim Lamb, Dem-NPL endorsed candidate for North Dakota Attorney General said, “Todd Blanche is proving he is not worthy of being confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee due to his handling of the Epstein files and other patently unconventional ways he is handling the U.S. Attorney General’s Office. He simply wants to continue to be President Trump’s personal attorney instead of honoring the integrity of the independent office of the Attorney General. His confirmation hearing speaks for itself.”
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Letter: Port missed the point
Why not site these noisy and water/electricity hogs beside a coal plant rather than in someone's backyard? In McLean County, Rainbow Energy Center's Coal Creek plant serves a 200 MW data center and hopes to add another 300 MW data center in its industrial park. Let's reap property tax benefits and new jobs by enacting strong county ordinances and lock in community benefits in an agreement after a third-party environmental review. And next session the ND Legislature should rescind data center sales and use tax exemptions to slow the roll.
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Fargo roundtable focuses on farmer mental health and suicide prevention
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A common answer was the need to break the stigma around mental illness in rural communities.
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Vern Thompson, a candidate for North Dakota agriculture commissioner, said he's heard the need for action from North Dakotans.
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"When I've been visiting with people around the state of North Dakota, specifically farmers, they're very proud people. And they're probably not going to go pick up the phone and dial that 988 number, so we have to go out to them and figure out a way to communicate," Thompson said.
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Thompson said the group is working toward future legislation to promote mental health awareness for farmers.
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Check out these posts from national Democrats
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AI Now Cost More Than Human Workers
Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, AI rapidly replaced human labor across industries due to its low cost and high efficiency, driving mass adoption and layoffs. However, widespread enterprise usage, token-based pricing, and practices like “tokenmaxxing” have inflated demand and costs.
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Supply constraints in data centers and rising compute prices have further increased token costs, more than doubling since 2025. Companies like Meta and Microsoft have reported massive usage and budget strain.
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As AI expenses approach or exceed labor costs in some roles, enterprises are increasingly questioning return on investment and the long-term economic viability of large-scale AI deployment.
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IN THE STATES: American Families Are Feeling the Harmful Impacts of Trump and Republicans’ “Big Ugly Bill”
While Trump and Republicans reward billionaires and big corporations with tax handouts, millions of American families are now far worse off than ever before. Over four million people have already lost their food assistance, in addition to the more than eight million Americans who have lost healthcare coverage, as hundreds of rural hospitals are also at risk of closure.
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Obamacare premiums likely to surge again next year
The majority of insurers across those states are proposing a median ACA Marketplace premium increase between 10% and 20%, while 20 insurers are requesting premium increases of more than 20%. None included in the analysis proposed a decrease in premiums.
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Along with the expiration of enhanced premium subsidies, insurers are also citing rising healthcare costs and changes in federal regulations as reasons behind the increases.
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At the end of last year, enhanced premium tax credits expired, leading to more out-of-pocket costs for some people enrolled in Marketplace plans. Premiums increased especially for those with incomes at 400% or more of the federal poverty level — or roughly $63,000 for a single person — who completely lost subsidies. That caused many healthier enrollees to leave the Marketplace, leaving behind enrollees who are more expensive to cover, according to KFF.
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Corruption Watch: Trump’s DOJ to Drop Charges Against $722 Million Crypto Fraudster
“Donald Trump has infected the White House with a culture of fraud and corruption that is costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Under Trump’s watch, we have a two-tiered system: if you are a wealthy donor or ultra-rich elite, you can commit massive financial crimes and get away with it. Meanwhile, everyday Americans are forced to play by the rules while still struggling to make ends meet in Trump’s economy. Trump has used the presidency to line his own pockets and enrich his family and friends, leaving ordinary Americans to foot the bill for his fraud and corruption.”
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Will it take a ‘Chernobyl-scale disaster’ for us to regulate AI?
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The CEOs are telling us: “We’re on track to create superhuman intelligence, which has a good chance of causing human extinction.” (By “good chance” here, they mean a chance similar to the one in six chance of dying while playing Russian roulette with a loaded revolver; in this game, however, the revolver is pointed at all of our heads.) Yet governments reply: “That’s wonderful! Can we offer you a subsidy? Fast-track your permits?”
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But finally, with the prospect of weapons of mass cyberdestruction in the hands of billions, the White House has reversed its deregulatory stance and suffered a rare attack of common sense.
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Immigrants, DHS agents and traffic stops: Violent outcomes repeat across the US
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A Thursday report from the American Civil Liberties Union found patterns of misconduct by immigration agents during Trump’s second term, identifying 432 incidents where agents either used or threatened to use force against immigrants and bystanders.
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The report reviewed more than 1,200 incidents across eight states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland and New Mexico.
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Of the traffic-related enforcement, the ACLU found in 76 instances, people and passengers were pulled from their cars; windows were smashed 47 times; officers 14 times rammed vehicles into people’s cars; and they hit people with cars six times.
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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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