North Dakota Dem-NPL Party holds energized convention, endorses Hammer for US House

Democratic-NPL delegates from across North Dakota gathered in Bismarck on Saturday for their state convention with a single word driving the conversation: energy.

The convention was the largest the party has seen since 2018, Dem-NPL Chairman Adam Goldwyn said. There were 452 delegates seated at the convention with roughly 50 alternates and many guests attending totaling roughly 600 attendees, according to spokesperson Lauren Dronen.

"Gosh, the energy. You can feel it, right? We are feeling it," Dem-NPL Executive Director Cheryl Biller said. "I have a strong sense that the energy that's here is only the launching pad for what's going to come this summer."

Goldwyn said he has one goal this election season: "Contest every single election up and down the ballot all across the state."

The party is not there yet, but he said it has put up 49 candidates from 21 districts so far with full slates of candidates in 14 districts across the state.

"We cannot expect North Dakotans to just vote better, we must lead by example, we must run candidates," Goldwyn said.

Trudy Such, an 89-year-old Wahpeton-area delegate who has been involved in Democratic politics in the state for almost 70 years, said she felt this convention could be the beginning of a resurgence for the party.

Part of that energy came from a rash of fresh delegates. More than 200 delegates who attended this year's convention said it was their first, Dronen said.

One of those new delegates was 27-year-old Kristina Jones, of Fargo, who said she got involved in the party because she felt the state needs changes. She said it is hard to live in a state that generally does not align with the beliefs she holds, but getting involved is the way change starts.

"I'm a treasurer for the district in Fargo and our district meetings used to be like three people would show up. So, it's huge to see all of the people get more involved," Jones said.

Another source of the energy is anger. Multiple convention speakers referenced their anger at the Trump administration for the comportment of Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents across the country but especially in Minneapolis, the bombing underway in Iran, and for the administration's unwillingness to release the complete Epstein files.

Special guest former U.S. Sen. and former North Dakota Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp did not mince words in her address to the convention.

"I have stopped being shocked by the administration's corruption and callousness. There is no bottom," she said.

She said she hopes history will record and condemn "the cowardice of John Hoeven, the cowardice of Kevin Cramer and the cowardice of Julie Fedorchak."

She said those in North Dakota's congressional delegation have failed to do their constitutional duty and failed their oath of office by not standing up to some of the administration's actions.

"One thing I know for certain," Heitkamp said. "They will never change unless the political consequences from North Dakota voters are greater than the petty consequences of Donald Trump."

The delegation maintains that Trump administration policies benefit North Dakota.

During the convention, the party considered platform planks and resolutions to solidify its stance on certain issues. The party passed resolutions on its desire to fund Prairie Public, which lost significant state and federal funding last year, and a resolution calling for the end of the war in Iran.

The party also endorsed Trygve Hammer for the state's congressional race, the second time he has been endorsed to face off against incumbent U.S. House Rep. Julie Fedorchak.

In his speech, he said Fedorchak had failed during her first term in Congress, and he was confident he could win.

"We will win because our state and our country need us to win," Hammer said. "We will win because the people of North Dakota are paying attention. They see what is happening here. They see their lost ag markets. They see that their money is not going as far as it used to."

Fedorchak in 2024 beat Hammer in the general election with 69% of the vote.

In the statewide races on the ballot in November, the Dem-NPL delegates endorsed Mayville State University professor John Pederson and former Fargo state lawmaker Scot Kelsh for the two Public Service Commission seats on the ballot; Sen. Ryan Braunberger, D-Fargo, in the race for secretary of state; and Grand Forks attorney Timothy Lamb in the race for attorney general.

Lamb previously ran against incumbent Attorney General Drew Wrigley in 2022 and lost, earning only 29% of the vote. He lost a bid for the state auditor position to current Auditor Josh Gallion by a similar margin in 2024.

The party also provided a letter of support for Tracy Foss, who is running to be the superintendent of public instruction. She was nominated by her son, Rep. Austin Foss, D-Fargo.

The superintendent of public instruction position is a nonpartisan race, meaning candidates do not declare a specific political party, but political parties provide letters of support for the candidates they wish to see elected.