FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 17, 2026
FARGO – Democratic-NPL Candidates reaffirmed their support of School Meals for All after Governor Armstrong said he will vote no on a ballot measure to provide no-cost school meals for North Dakota K-12 students.
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.”
Rep. LaurieBeth Hager (D-Fargo) said, “I am surprised and disappointed in Governor Armstrong’s change of heart regarding the funding of school meals for the children of our state. Whenever I have seen him with kids, he truly lights up. I also felt the governor would be responsive to the wishes of ND citizens, as indicated by the tens of thousands of signatures on this initiated measure. Our citizens have been disappointed over and over again as they have seen the legislature drop the ball and defeat bills that would put providing free school meals in statute. The public has lost trust that the legislature will listen to their wishes to use ND Legacy Funds or General funds to provide meals for kids while they are at school. In November, the voters in our state will have an opportunity to clearly state that prioritizing our children is what matters most—to literally put our tax money into the mouths of our children—our most important legacy.”
Senator Tim Mathern (D-Fargo) remarked, “Food is even more basic than education, this measure makes sure every child has lunch at school!”
Rep. Austin Foss (D-Fargo) said, “School meals are the one thing we still don’t provide K-12 students to help them learn and grow. Giving them everything they need during the school day just makes sense. North Dakotans want this, and we’ll see it pass this November.”
District 7 House Candidate Dr. Jason Thoms (D-Bismarck) said, “Providing free breakfast and lunch for all kids in our state will help the next generation of North Dakotans be healthier and more productive in school. No child should go hungry for political reasons.”
District 11 House Candidate Anastassiya Andrianova (D-Fargo) remarked, “North Dakota has enough money to feed hungry kids. Republican legislators and the governor simply lack the empathy and imagination to make this happen. Securing sustainable funding for free universal school lunches is my utmost priority as a candidate for the State House, as an educator of 20+ years, as a union member, as a mother of a school-aged child, and as a decent human.”
District 21 House Candidate Laura Dronen (D-Fargo) said, “Democratic-NPL lawmakers have been championing school meals for all for years in the legislature. This deeply popular policy would put money back in the pockets of working families. As North Dakotans, we pride ourselves on the fact that we feed the world—we should ensure our kids are fed too!”
District 29 Senate Candidate John Kelly (D-Pekin) said, “I should not be surprised, but I am. This is the measure that made me want to run. The House passed this bill 55-38. It only failed in the Senate by two votes. 80 percent of North Dakotians want this. You can’t get eight out ten North Dakotians to agree on how much rain fell after a storm. I know everyone knows these points. This measure should pass. I will be telling everyone I see to vote for this measure.”
District 29 House Candidate Dianne Norris (D-Cooperstown) remarked, “After broad public support for free school lunches, North Dakota Senators chose to oppose the wishes of North Dakotans. This initiative allows North Dakotans a direct and transparent voice to decide where a piece of our state resources will be invested.”
District 31 Senate Candidate Kelly Spilman (D-Mandan) said, “The governor says he will vote no for free lunches for the kids of ND. This is not a new issue. Legislators have had five chances to fund school meals through regular legislation — most recently last January, when a bill passed the House but died in the Senate. Session after session, it’s stalled. That’s exactly why Together for School Meals turned to the citizens and collected nearly 50,000 signatures to put it on the November ballot. When your elected leaders won’t act, the constitution gives you the right to take it straight to voters.
The Governor even said it himself: this issue polls at 70/30. Seven in ten North Dakotans support it. Yet the same one-party supermajority that’s held power for 30+ years keeps finding a way to say no. So voters did what the legislature wouldn’t — they got the signatures, they earned their spot on the ballot, and this November voters get the final word. Budgets are about priorities; if we can find breaks for data centers and outside corporations, we can find a way to feed our kids. This is what ‘government for the people’ is supposed to look like.”
District 31 House Candidate Rissa Williams (D-Mandan) remarked, “Why is Governor Armstrong putting up a school lunch smokescreen instead of calling a special legislative session to put a moratorium on AI Factories? The people of North Dakota have made it clear we want school meals for our students, and this distraction from data centers is exactly how they intend to push them through without any input from citizens.”
District 39 House Candidate Sandy Baertsch (D-Medora) said, “Our great state of North Dakota has a plentiful Legacy Fund that could not possibly be used for anything more noble than nourishing the youth of our state. All children benefit from good and timely nourishment, but especially the needy ones who, through no fault of their own, come from impoverished households.”
District 41 House Candidate Dr. Chris Tiongson (D-Fargo) said, “Really? Feeding kids first is problematic? As a pediatrician, I believe the health and wellbeing of kids should come first. The governor went even farther, stating that if the measure does pass, he wants the legislature to override the will of our voters. Not on my watch. We need to elect legislators who will put kids first and honor the voice of our voters.”
District 43 House Candidate Tyler York (D-Grand Forks) said, “Every child deserves the opportunity to learn with a full stomach. Universal school meals help working families struggling with rising grocery costs. If voters approve this amendment, the Legislature must fund it without taking resources away from our public schools.”
Bill Patrie, candidate for the North Dakota Senate from District 47 said, “I served as president of the Devils Lake School Board, and even in the 1980s we had kids that couldn’t afford meal tickets. We knew then that having meals available to kids who were hungry was beneficial to their learning. This isn’t a technical question about constitutional law as the Governor has suggested. Rather, it is a chance for North Dakota to provide meals for our children, some of whom would otherwise not eat. I support the initiated measure-let’s feed the kids.”
CONTACT:
Laura Dronen
Communications Director
laura.dronen@demnpl.com
