We all know how divided we are as a country. Politics has always been an ugly business, but it's perhaps uglier right now than any time in recent memory.

Given that, who would want to run for public office, and expose themselves to the brutal acrimony of an increasingly uncivil process?

On this episode of Plain Talk, I spoke with two candidates for the North Dakota legislature about that very topic.

Mike Motschenbacher is running for the state House in District 47 in the Bismarck area. Mason Wede is running for the state Senate in District 29. They're both Republicans, and they both say that, as bad as things are, it's a job somebody has to do.

Our state, and our communities, has challenges. There are budgets that must be written. And if principled grownups aren't willing to do those jobs, who will?

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