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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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Parade in Mountain ND
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August the Deuce Parade is scheduled for Aug 1st at 10:30 AM in Mountain ND.
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We will be driving and walking in the parade and would welcome state candidates and other Dem-NPL members to join us.
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We will have an information booth set up during and after the parade.
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Meet, Greet & Sign
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Kost Shelter in Lindenwood Park
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1905 Roger Maris Dr, Fargo
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D11 Friends and Neighbors! Join us at the Kost Shelter in Lindenwood Park on August 6th @5-7pm for a meet and greet with our legislative candidates! Light refreshments will be provided. You can talk with State Senator Tim Mathern and our two State Representative candidates, Anastassiya (Stass) Andrianova and Cara Cody-Braun. Also, you can sign the nomination form to put Cara on the ballot in November. We hope to see you there!
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Rural Canvassing Training
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Join the National Democratic Training Committee on Monday, August 10th from 1-2 pm ET for a free virtual live training on Rural Canvassing. We're here to help, so join us to learn the following:
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1. Describe ways to maximize the effectiveness of canvassing in areas with low population density
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2. Offer solutions to common challenges rural organizers encounter when planning and executing canvass operations
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This training is right for you if you intend to plan or manage a campaign's direct voter contact activities in a rural area.
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Dickinson Area Democratic-NPL meeting
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Wed, Aug 12 7:00pm-9:00pm MDT
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The Press Box at Players Sports Bar & Grill
2050 1st Ave E. Dickinson
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Districts 37, 36, and 39 meet every second Wednesday after Drinking Liberally!
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Cass County Summerfest
Lindenwood Park
1905 Roger Maris Dr. Fargo
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Join us for an evening of fun, food and fellowship at Lindenwood Park, Main Shelter from 5:30-8:30 Our guest speakers include Trygve, Vern and other state and Cass County legislative candidates. Suggested donation is $15 per person or $30 per family.
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Help us spread our message—share these recent posts!
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Democrat PSC candidates question attorney’s safety stance
John Pederson and Scot Kelsh, Democrats who are challenging Republican incumbents for two positions on the PSC, took issue with those comments during a news conference in Fargo last week.
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“The current Public Service Commission should publicly refute their staff attorney’s finding and make a determination that considerations of the public, both welfare and safety, will be the primary criterion when siting not only pipelines, but any infrastructure project that affects multiple stakeholders,” Pederson said Thursday.
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North Dakota utility regulators take up MDU rate increase, data center cases
Jacobson said MDU has entered an agreement with Applied Digital to supply power to a data center near Center, northwest of Bismarck.
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MDU has a request filed with the PSC to extend electrical service to that project.
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People have until Sept. 7 to file written objections to that request based on public convenience and necessity. Objections may trigger a hearing.
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One company, Innovative Energy Alliance Cooperative, based in Dickinson, has already filed a letter saying it will file a protest. Innovative Energy Alliance includes the KEM Electric, Mor-Gran-Sou Electric, Roughrider Electric and Slope Electric cooperatives.
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Gov. Armstrong, lawmakers eye special session on kratom ban, Military Gallery funding
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“The Governor is intent on calling us into a special session to consider banning the sale, possession, and distribution of Kratom,” Hogue wrote in an invitation shared with the Monitor, adding, “We will also be addressing the ND Military Museum as well. As you know, the project has a funding challenge and there appears no way to address it short of legislative action.”
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Hogue confirmed the Military Gallery funding was a topic for a potential special session, but would not comment further Wednesday.
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Tony Pipa speaks to big issues for rural America: data centers, healthcare, and more
07/30/26: Tony Pipa is a senior fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution. He launched and leads the Reimagining Rural Policy initiative and hosts the award-winning Reimagine Rural podcast. He's in town for TEDxFargo, and joins Joel Heitkamp in the studio to talk about rural America.
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Data center questions deserve disclosure, discussion
Thus far, regulators, legislators and local governments have failed their due diligence responsibilities, in part because the industry has outpaced current law and regulation, and in part because data center companies have brilliantly undermined normal and necessary safeguards with schemes like NDAs.
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The issue, then, is not whether data centers are positive or negative for communities and the state. Indeed, they might be very good. However, the unprecedented advent of the centers has been tainted by insufficient transparency, lack of timely public discussion and insignificant government oversight. That’s the real issue. Maybe it’s time for North Dakota to call a pause.
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Plain Talk TV: Fargo-area District 41 Candidate Dr. Chris Tiongson
"As I've seen over the years, almost 30 years in pediatrics now, there are so many things that are happening outside the exam room that parents and families really don't have control over that affect their health," he told us on this episode of Plain Talk.
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Data center questions deserve disclosure, discussion
As the late North Dakota State University historian David Danbom put it, the state has for generations been in the grip of “pathetic desperation” when it comes to promises of development, however iffy a promise might be. The data centers phenomenon seems to be the 21st century iteration of that deeply ingrained cultural proclivity.
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Thus far, regulators, legislators and local governments have failed their due diligence responsibilities, in part because the industry has outpaced current law and regulation, and in part because data center companies have brilliantly undermined normal and necessary safeguards with schemes like NDAs.
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The issue, then, is not whether data centers are positive or negative for communities and the state. Indeed, they might be very good. However, the unprecedented advent of the centers has been tainted by insufficient transparency, lack of timely public discussion and insignificant government oversight. That’s the real issue. Maybe it’s time for North Dakota to call a pause.
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Jack Zaleski, Jane Ahlin, and Al Aamodt speak to journalism-related concerns around the Trump Administration
Jack Zaleski is now a columnist at the North Dakota Monitor after working at the Forum for over 30 years, and was Editor of the Devils Lake Daily Journal. Al Aamodt worked at WDAY for 35 years, as an Editor at KVLY, was a news broadcaster at KFGO, and taught at MSUM. Jane Ahlin is a guest columnist for The Forum and taught English at MSUM, and is an alum from UND and MSUM.
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Speaking out: Potential data center location risks degrading Mandan’s environment
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Not to mention, for the purposes of this brief column, I am focusing on noise pollution not because it is the only concern of Mandan and other Morton County residents. Rather, noise pollution concern is illustrative in that it is only one concern of many. Residents are expressing concerns regarding data center potential impacts on water consumption, energy costs, air quality, wildlife and livestock. These concerns do not reflect some collective paranoia. They reflect troubling findings from other communities’ data centers and they come from an earnest desire to protect our cherished communities.
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With such extensive concerns and no definite proof of successful mitigation until a data center is already built and operating, it is no wonder that plenty of residents already oppose the presence of a data center.
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State Dem-NPL candidates speak in Valley City
Building hyperscale AI data factories in North Dakota was one hot topic on Saturday. The candidates expressed the view that “we need to slow down,” and favored either a national or state moratorium so people will have time to learn the facts and “think this through,” according to Bradley Edin, former chair of the District 24 Dem-NPL Party.
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President of ND Farmers Union, Matt Perdue, speaks to Farm Bill on Co-op Day
It's Co-op Day at the North Dakota State Fair, and to celebrate it, Joel Heitkamp is joined by the President of North Dakota Farmers Union, Matt Perdue. They talk about the importance and benefits of cooperatives, and Matt shares his thoughts on the current Farm Bill.
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Plain Talk TV: Rep. Zac Ista on July 30, 2026
Rep. Zac Ista on Plain Talk
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Check out these posts from national Democrats
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Immigration officials misused weapons hundreds of times during protests, report finds
Human rights investigators have documented hundreds of instances of misuse of crowd-control weapons at protests of immigration enforcement since President Donald Trump returned to office.
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Department of Homeland Security employees and local law enforcement both committed violations of standards of use for crowd-control weapons, injuring protesters, according to a report from Physicians for Human Rights and the University of California, Berkeley’s Human Rights Center. The authors of the report called for manufacturers to stop making certain weapons that are particularly harmful and likely to be misused and urged law enforcement agencies to change their use-of-force policies.
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Trump threatens to pull attorney general nominee amid GOP revolt
The president’s announcement puts Blanche’s nomination in even further peril, escalating a battle between the administration and GOP lawmakers over a controversial $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and an agreement that shields Trump and his family from government action over tax issues. But it did not mark the end. Cornyn and Tillis met privately with Blanche Thursday afternoon, and three sources familiar with the matter said they made progress, though did not reach a deal.
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On the Anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare, Trump and Republicans Have Turned Their Backs on Americans and Destroyed Access to Affordable Healthcare
“For over 60 years, Medicare and Medicaid have helped millions of seniors, children, families, and people with disabilities get affordable healthcare. Now, Donald Trump, JD Vance, and Republicans are turning their backs on Americans by cutting Medicare and Medicaid, forcing families to grapple with skyrocketing medical bills, prescription drug costs, and insurance premiums — or even losing healthcare coverage completely — all to give even bigger tax breaks to their billionaire backers. Democrats are fighting back against Republican cuts to healthcare to protect Medicaid and Medicare — and voters will remember who stood up for their healthcare in November.”
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Virginia senators request special session to act on ’deeply alarming’ groundwater report
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The report stems from a 2024 joint legislative resolution to study the groundwater supply of the state’s eastern half and is the most comprehensive study to date on the coastal aquifer system.
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The report was supposed to be released on the first day of the year but had been withheld until recently — a particular pain point the senators highlighted in their missive to Spanberger.
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“Legislators did not receive it until the third week of July, months after the legislative session adjourned and the new biennial budget took effect,” Perry and Stuart wrote. “Had the General Assembly reviewed these findings when the law required, it is safe to say the outcome of several legislative and budget decisions would have been different.”
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Senate Republicans Block Democrats’ Effort To Lower Childcare Costs
“Senate Republicans once again chose to stand with Donald Trump and special interests over working families and children. Families are struggling to afford basic necessities in Trump’s economy and navigate the childcare affordability crisis, but Trump and Republicans don’t care. They have no problem spending billions on bombs and tax breaks for the rich, even if it means leaving working families out to dry. Meanwhile, Democrats are fighting tirelessly to lower childcare costs and make life more affordable.”
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SpaceX Wipes Out a Trillion in Value. "How Low Can These Shares Go?" | Pivot
Kara and Scott unpack Mayor Mamdani’s controversial luxury tax list, Mark Zuckerberg’s AI messaging campaign, and SpaceX’s trillion-dollar wipeout. Then, they discuss the growing divide over AI safety, Apple’s new leasing program, and calls for Mitch McConnell to prove he’s still fit to serve.
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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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