Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Judy Estenson, Don Vigessa, and Bill Devlin
The District 23 Republicans met in Cooperstown Sunday afternoon to endorse three candidates for the North Dakota Legislature, hear from statewide candidates, get updates from state party officials and select delegates to the state convention.
State Representative Don Vigesaa of Cooperstown and Representative Bill Devlin of Finley were endorsed to seek re-election to the North Dakota House of Representatives. Judy Estenson of Warwick will be District 23 Republican Candidate for the North Dakota State Senate.
Judy Estenson is a negistered nurse and she has worked at the Mercy Hospital in Devils Lake for over thirty years in the coronary care unit, the emergency department and cardiac rehabilitation. Judy and her husband Hal are partners in a farm and ranch operation in Benson County. They raise Black Angus Cattle and a wide variety of crops.
Rep. Vigesaa was first elected in a special election in 2004. He is currently serving as Assistant Majority Leader of the North Dakota House of Representatives, a position he has held for ten years. He also serves on the appropriations committee during the regular session. During the interim he is serving as vice-chair of the Government Finance Committee and serves on the Budget Section Committee.
Rep. Devlin serves on the Human Services as well as the Energy and National Resources committees during the session. He is also chairman of the Administrative Rules Committee that meets during the session and the interim. During the interim he also serves on the Health Care Reform Review committee. Devlin served as the 63rd Speaker of The House during the 2013 session. He is currently serving his 18th year in the House of Representatives.
A District 23 spokesman said they were very excited about the ticket this year. They noted that Vigesaa and Devlin have been very effective legislators and strong voices for rural North Dakota. They said that Estenson fits in that same mold. Estenson will bring a strong farmer-rancher voice as well as an experienced health care perspective to the North Dakota Senate, they said.
A number of statewide candidates or their spokesman also spoke to the group about their race and what they felt were the reasons voters should support them. Jared Hendrix of Minot spoke on behalf of Congressman Kevin Cramer, who is seeking the U.S. Senate spot. Thomas O'Neill, an Air Force veteran and minister from Niagara, also asked for the delegates support for his race for the same U.S. Senate spot.
State Senator Tom Campbell of Grafton spoke about his race for the U.S. House of Representatives. Ag Commissioner Doug Goehring spoke about the successful efforts from his office and asked for everyone's support for re-election. He also asked those attending to support Ryan Rauschenberger for another term as state tax commissioner.
Public Service Commissioner Brian Kroshus, who is seeking election to the final two years for the position he was appointed to by the Governor, spoke about the importance of the office and how he sees his role on the commission. He also asked for everyone's support. He also spoke in support of Commissioner Randy Christmann, who is seeking another term on the Public Service Commission.
Rep. Vigesaa read a letter to those attending from Secretary of State Al Jaeger who is seeking another term but couldn't attend. Rep. Devlin spoke in support of Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem who is seeking another term in that office.
Will Gardner, IT expert, who is running for the Secretary of State's position, also spoke. He explained his background and asked for everyone's support at the state convention.
North Dakota State Republican Chairman Kelly Armstrong spoke about the importance of all of the races and urged everyone to support their Republican legislative and statewide candidates in any way possible. He also predicted the U.S. Senate Race for North Dakota would be one of the top three-senate races in the country. Reed Christensen, head of the North Dakota Young Republicans also spoke and urged everyone's involvement.
Delegates to the Republican State Convention in Grand Forks were also chosen. The convention is set for April 6, 7 and 8. Many of the allotted District 23 delegate spots were filled on Sunday, by a vote of those attending. There are a few slots left and anyone interested should contact the district chairman or vice-chairman. Dan Ferguson, Executive Director of the state party, provided some information on the convention including details about registration, accommodations.
