In North Dakota, the 2026 election cycle isn't really going to be about whether our state is governed by Republicans or Democrats. It's going to be about which type of Republicans hold the majority.

So far, the state's traditional Republicans have been successful in holding the line against a rising tide of populists invigorated by the Trump era, but the populists have managed to capture control of key leadership positions within the NDGOP. They hold a slim majority of district chairs, which in turn has allowed them to elect one of their own as state party chair.

The populists will likely endorse their preferred candidates at the party's local and statewide conventions. The tradional, normie Republicans will mostly take their case to the voters on the June primary ballot.

District 3, in Minot, may well be key ground in this battle. The state House incumbents here are Rep. Jeff Hoverson and Rep. Lori VanWinkle, two bible-thumping religious zealots who are notorious for promoting culture war issues and little else. They face a challenge from Tim Mihalick and Blaine DesLauriers, who say they'd like to go to Bismarck to support Gov. Kelly Armstrong's agenda.

"I really like what Governor Armstrong has brought to the table," DesLauriers said on this episode of Plain Talk. "I think he needs more allies that think and act like him and that's what I want to do."

For his part, Mihalick says he'd like to bring a more collaborative approach to the legislature. Reacting to comments Hoverson made declaring people who disagree with him as "enemies," Mihalick says he doesn't see politics that way.

"I don't see [political opponents] as my enemies," he told us. "I spent my life negotiating and recognizing that everybody needs to win when you complete a deal."

We asked the two candidates if Armstrong asked them to run. "Yeah, he did," Mihalick said. DesLauier said that while Armstrong hasn't officially backed their candidacies yet, "we're expecting his endorsement."

Also on this episode, we discussed the ongoing questions about finances at the F5 Project, a high-profile, Fargo-based nonprofit. Me and co-host Chad Oban also discussed the resgination of Nico Rios, and the upcoming special session.

If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below.

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In North Dakota, the 2026 election cycle isn't really going to be about whether our state is governed by Republicans or Democrats. It's going to be about which type of Republicans hold the majority.

So far, the state's traditional Republicans have been successful in holding the line against a rising tide of populists invigorated by the Trump era, but the populists have managed to capture control of key leadership positions within the NDGOP. They hold a slim majority of district chairs, which in turn has allowed them to elect one of their own as state party chair.

The populists will likely endorse their preferred candidates at the party's local and statewide conventions. The tradional, normie Republicans will mostly take their case to the voters on the June primary ballot.

District 3, in Minot, may well be key ground in this battle. The state House incumbents here are Rep. Jeff Hoverson and Rep. Lori VanWinkle, two bible-thumping religious zealots who are notorious for promoting culture war issues and little else. They face a challenge from Tim Mihalick and Blaine DesLauriers, who say they'd like to go to Bismarck to support Gov. Kelly Armstrong's agenda.

"I really like what Governor Armstrong has brought to the table," DesLauriers said on this episode of Plain Talk. "I think he needs more allies that think and act like him and that's what I want to do."

For his part, Mihalick says he'd like to bring a more collaborative approach to the legislature. Reacting to comments Hoverson made declaring people who disagree with him as "enemies," Mihalick says he doesn't see politics that way.

"I don't see [political opponents] as my enemies," he told us. "I spent my life negotiating and recognizing that everybody needs to win when you complete a deal."

We asked the two candidates if Armstrong asked them to run. "Yeah, he did," Mihalick said. DesLauier said that while Armstrong hasn't officially backed their candidacies yet, "we're expecting his endorsement."

Also on this episode, we discussed the ongoing questions about finances at the F5 Project, a high-profile, Fargo-based nonprofit. Me and co-host Chad Oban also discussed the resgination of Nico Rios, and the upcoming special session.

If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak says that she doesn't agree with how Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has handled the situation around the shooting death of Renee Good, and ICE's overall activities in Minnesota.

Within hours of Good's death, Noem called her a "terrorist, something Fedorchak says she doesn't agree with.

North Dakota's congresswoman criticized the modern tendency to "respond too quickly in our culture" and come to "rash judgments with very little information," noting that she's personally avoided these things in her own messaging.

"We need more calm voices leading the charge," she said.

Fedorchak also defended her decision to vote against extending enhanced subsidies for people purchasing their insurance through the federal exchanges, raising concerns about fraud in the program. "We've got 34 million people, 34% of that program, is going to fraudulent participants," she said. "Like, this is not the kind of government that I can get behind. And so extending that for three more years is just intolerable to me."

"The solution is not throwing $80 billion at a broken system," she continued. "For $80 billion, we still have patients receiving significant increases, even with a subsidy in their insurance, and no solutions and continued wasted money and fraud. I can't get behind that."

Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the on-going turmoil around ICE's activities in Minnesota, as well as the lawsuits filed by Minnesota and Illinois against the federal government.

If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below.

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Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak says that she doesn't agree with how Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has handled the situation around the shooting death of Renee Good, and ICE's overall activities in Minnesota.

Within hours of Good's death, Noem called her a "terrorist, something Fedorchak says she doesn't agree with.

North Dakota's congresswoman criticized the modern tendency to "respond too quickly in our culture" and come to "rash judgments with very little information," noting that she's personally avoided these things in her own messaging.

"We need more calm voices leading the charge," she said.

Fedorchak also defended her decision to vote against extending enhanced subsidies for people purchasing their insurance through the federal exchanges, raising concerns about fraud in the program. "We've got 34 million people, 34% of that program, is going to fraudulent participants," she said. "Like, this is not the kind of government that I can get behind. And so extending that for three more years is just intolerable to me."

"The solution is not throwing $80 billion at a broken system," she continued. "For $80 billion, we still have patients receiving significant increases, even with a subsidy in their insurance, and no solutions and continued wasted money and fraud. I can't get behind that."

Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the on-going turmoil around ICE's activities in Minnesota, as well as the lawsuits filed by Minnesota and Illinois against the federal government.

If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

On this episode of Plain Talk, me and co-host Chad Oban react to more tragedy in Minneapolis, with the killing of Renee Good. The facts of what happened are still being established, but what did we think was going to happen when federal agents are operating under an administration intent on enforcing federal law in the most aggressive, most provactive way possible?

Also on this episode, Fargo mayoral candidates Josh Boschee and Denise Kolpack join to discuss their newly-announced campaigns. Kolpack is a current member of the city commission, and the deputy mayor, while Boschee is a Democrat elected to the state legislature. B

oschee talked about his skill working across ideological divides, as well as his familiarity with how things operate in Bismarck. He also said he's glad he doesn't have to pretend like he's not a Democrat, despite the mayoral race being officially nonpartisan. Kolpack, meanwhile, said her experience in local government is what counts.

She said he's pushed back on some bad ideas from the commission, and would work to alleviate some of the dysfunction there. Both candidates weighed in on Fargo's controversial handling of the Applied Digital data center in the works in Harwood. Kolpack said Fargo acted like a bully. Boschee said he'd have done a better job of setting the city's priorities and communicating them.

If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts.

On this episode of Plain Talk, me and co-host Chad Oban react to more tragedy in Minneapolis, with the killing of Renee Good. The facts of what happened are still being established, but what did we think was going to happen when federal agents are operating under an administration intent on enforcing federal law in the most aggressive, most provactive way possible?

Also on this episode, Fargo mayoral candidates Josh Boschee and Denise Kolpack join to discuss their newly-announced campaigns. Kolpack is a current member of the city commission, and the deputy mayor, while Boschee is a Democrat elected to the state legislature.

Boschee talked about his skill working across ideological divides, as well as his familiarity with how things operate in Bismarck. He also said he's glad he doesn't have to pretend like he's not a Democrat, despite the mayoral race being officially nonpartisan.

Kolpack, meanwhile, said her experience in local government is what counts. She said he's pushed back on some bad ideas from the commission, and would work to alleviate some of the dysfunction there.

Both candidates weighed in on Fargo's controversial handling of the Applied Digital data center in the works in Harwood. Kolpack said Fargo acted like a bully. Boschee said he'd have done a better job of setting the city's priorities and communicating them.

If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below.

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"I just didn't get it prioritized to get out the door."

That's what Attorney General Drew Wrigley said on this episode of Plain Talk when asked about the state's annual crime report, which is typically released over the summer, but this year wasn't made public until New Year's Eve.

The delayed report comes amid an intense debate over crime in North Dakota. The most recent report, covering the year 2024, showed some declines from recent peaks in serious crime categories, but they're still signficantly up over the last decade.

"Violent crime and robbery crimes against the person...came down two 2%," Wrigley said, "but that 2%...makes last year the 10th highest of the last 11 years. You're talking over 4,000 more victims every year than was the case in 2014."

Wrigley said he plans to continue his push for stricter sentencing policies in next year's legislative session. He was unsuccessful in winning enough votes among lawmakers for his proposed reforms during the first two legislative sessions of his tenure in office.

Wrigley also addressed delays in his office in responding to open records and open meetings complaints filed by the public, and the news media -- "the number of requests is quite robust," he said -- and said that he planed to address a legislative request for an opinion on Retirement and Investment Office bonuses in "weeks" not months.

Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I react to my story about top executives at the F5 Project giving themselves personal loans out of the nonprofit's revenues, as well as my report about legislature's potentially preempting, during their upcoming special session, a ballot measure for universal school meals with a proposal of their own.

If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

"I just didn't get it prioritized to get out the door."

That's what Attorney General Drew Wrigley said on this episode of Plain Talk when asked about the state's annual crime report, which is typically released over the summer, but this year wasn't made public until New Year's Eve.

The delayed report comes amid an intense debate over crime in North Dakota. The most recent report, covering the year 2024, showed some declines from recent peaks in serious crime categories, but they're still signficantly up over the last decade.

"Violent crime and robbery crimes against the person...came down two 2%," Wrigley said, "but that 2%...makes last year the 10th highest of the last 11 years. You're talking over 4,000 more victims every year than was the case in 2014."

Wrigley said he plans to continue his push for stricter sentencing policies in next year's legislative session. He was unsuccessful in winning enough votes among lawmakers for his proposed reforms during the first two legislative sessions of his tenure in office.

Wrigley also addressed delays in his office in responding to open records and open meetings complaints filed by the public, and the news media -- "the number of requests is quite robust," he said -- and said that he planed to address a legislative request for an opinion on Retirement and Investment Office bonuses in "weeks" not months.

Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I react to my story about top executives at the F5 Project giving themselves personal loans out of the nonprofit's revenues, as well as my report about legislature's potentially preempting, during their upcoming special session, a ballot measure for universal school meals with a proposal of their own.

If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

The year 2025 is almost in the books. On this episode of Plain Talk, we took a look back at the last year, looking at some of the highlights (and lowlights, unfortunately) that made news.

The legislature passed massive property tax reform. It's a "sea change" for what's long been a thorny issue, I argued, but can it be maintained? Lawmakers will have to continue funding the $1,600 credits for primary residences while simultaneously holding the line on attempts to water down the 3% cap on local spending.

Also, shamelessness was a theme in state (as well as national) politics. Elected officials from former Minot mayor Tom Ross to Williston lawmaker Rep. Nico Rios made headlines with ugly behavior. The former faced consequences (he resigned) but the latter is still in office. Can he survive the 2026 election cycle?

Speaking of which, how will the divide in the North Dakota Republican Party play out next year? Will the party hold a state convention? If they do, who will come?

There will be several ballot measures next year, too. The legislature placed one constitutional amendment on the June primary ballot -- a single-subject requirement for constitutional amendments on the ballot -- as well as two more for the November ballot. One would make some modest but meaningful changes to the state's term limits, and the other would require that constituitonal amendments on the ballot get 60% of the vote to pass.

How will those amendments fare? Co-host Chad Oban and I covered it all.

If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive

The year 2025 is almost in the books. On this episode of Plain Talk, we took a look back at the last year, looking at some of the highlights (and lowlights, unfortunately) that made news.

The legislature passed massive property tax reform. It's a "sea change" for what's long been a thorny issue, I argued, but can it be maintained? Lawmakers will have to continue funding the $1,600 credits for primary residences while simultaneously holding the line on attempts to water down the 3% cap on local spending.

Also, shamelessness was a theme in state (as well as national) politics. Elected officials from former Minot mayor Tom Ross to Williston lawmaker Rep. Nico Rios made headlines with ugly behavior. The former faced consequences (he resigned) but the latter is still in office. Can he survive the 2026 election cycle?

Speaking of which, how will the divide in the North Dakota Republican Party play out next year? Will the party hold a state convention? If they do, who will come?

There will be several ballot measures next year, too. The legislature placed one constitutional amendment on the June primary ballot -- a single-subject requirement for constitutional amendments on the ballot -- as well as two more for the November ballot. One would make some modest but meaningful changes to the state's term limits, and the other would require that constituitonal amendments on the ballot get 60% of the vote to pass.

How will those amendments fare? Co-host Chad Oban and I covered it all.

If you want to participate in Plain Talk, just give us a call or text at 701-587-3141. It's super easy — leave your message, tell us your name and where you're from, and we might feature it on an upcoming episode. To subscribe to Plain Talk, search for the show wherever you get your podcasts or use one of the links below.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts | Episode Archive