Rep. Jared Hendrix addresses delegates March 29, 2026, during the Republican Party state convention in Minot. (Photo by Amy Dalrymple/North Dakota Monitor)
MINOT, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – Republican Party delegates on Sunday attempted to undo an earlier vote to strip absent incumbent officials of the Republican brand as critics including the governor called it unenforceable.
But participants stood behind Saturday’s motion in a split vote as party loyalty remained a major theme during the state convention.
Delvin Boehm, chair of District 33, urged the party to focus on seeking legislative changes in the 2027 session, leaving the state party in control for the pivotal 2028 elections.
“We have to have a plan. We have to go into this wisely,” Boehm said. “2028, that’s our convention.”
Kevin Hunter, a delegate from District 2, quoted a piece of advice from his father, who raised seven boys: “Never make threats, only promises.”
“Yesterday we made a threat. Live that through and actually make it a promise, carry it through,” Hunter said. “Play stupid games and win stupid prizes.”
Legislators were split on the issue. Rep. Jared Hendrix, R-West Fargo, said the incumbents made a “stupid decision” not to attend, but he pushed for undoing Saturday’s vote because there is no realistic way to enforce it.
Sen. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, gave an impassioned speech in defense of the convention’s actions and said the party has the absent incumbents “on their haunches.”
“Stand your ground,” Magrum urged. “The word is out. We can’t undo it.”
Delegates opposed reconsidering the motion on a 311-297 vote. Participants did not discuss how the action would be implemented, but a pair of delegates put out a call to action for volunteers to work on next steps.
The governor’s take
In an interview Sunday morning, Gov. Kelly Armstrong called the action practically unenforceable. He said ballot access for candidates who submit petition signatures is protected by state law and can’t be changed unilaterally by a political party.
“Legally they can’t,” Armstrong said. “Anybody can file to run in the primary however they want.”
Armstrong said he doesn’t know if the motion removing the Republican brand applies to him because he’s not a candidate this year. Armstrong, a former party chair, did not attend the convention because he was participating in a friend’s wedding. He questioned how the party can punish people who have other commitments.
“Is their answer that anybody who can’t be at a state convention has no voice and the people that are there, that their vote counts more than every other North Dakotan?” Armstrong said. “I don’t think anybody else agrees with that. People like voters deciding, not back rooms.”
Participant reaction
Delegates expressed mixed feelings about the action. Eric Smith, a Bismarck delegate from District 47, called the decision “disappointing.” Brian McDonald, a Leonard delegate of District 25, considered the incumbents’ absence a clear insult, adding “nobody likes to be insulted.”
“I think there’s probably going to be some blowback and penalties to it, and maybe in the long run it’ll hurt us,” McDonald said. “I did support it, but I fear that we’re going to come to regret it.”
Landon Allex, a delegate from District 44 attending his first state convention, said he has observed a lot of “infighting” and said there was an “obvious rift” in the party.
But Allex said candidates like Armstrong and Secretary of State Michael Howe, who is on the ballot, have a proven track record and the party should not alienate them.
“Regardless of what you think about them, they have the power, they have the connections, they have the money, and they win elections,” Allex said. “I think it’s better to work with those people who can win the elections and maybe create incentive structures for them to follow the platform a little bit more closely than to just completely alienate them and create a bigger rift in the party.”
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