Danduran, Grothe, Steidl announce challenge to District 14 legislators

Three Republican challengers, including one from New Rockford, have announced their intent to represent District 14 at the state capitol in Bismarck.

In a press release on Wednesday, Karisa Grothe, Larry Danduran and Jason Steidl announced their challenge to District 14's three incumbent legislators, who have all announced their reelection bid.

Grothe, who recently moved to Baldwin, N.D. from Minnesota, will challenge Republican Jerry Klein for the district's senate seat.

Meanwhile, Danduran and Steidl, who are residents of New Rockford and Driscoll respectively, will challenge Republicans Jon Nelson and Robin Weisz for the district's two house seats.

A press release from the three challengers states they'll seek the Republican Party's endorsement on February 18, as well as the Republican nomination in the June 11 primary.

If they want to win their party's nomination, however, the challengers will have to overcome long entrenched support for their opponents.

Klein, Weisz and Nelson have represented their constituents in Bismarck for close to three decades, having held seats in the legislature since 1997.

According to a press release from the District 14 Republican Party, Senator Jerry Klein and Representatives Jon Nelson and Robin Weisz, "stand united in their bid for re-election."

"As they seek re-election, these District 14 Republicans emphasize unity and a shared vision for North Dakota's future," states the press release. "Klein, Nelson, and Weisz will continue to uphold conservative principles, strong family values and advocate for the interests of their communities."

For most Eddy County residents, this year's elections will be their first opportunity to decide if they want Klein, Nelson and Weisz to represent them in Bismarck.

For years, Eddy County had been in District 23, until the redistricting process in 2021 eliminated that district and placed most of the county in District 14, the largest in the state at 7,306 square miles.

All three incumbents will likely point to their decades of experience and accomplishments this election season.

Klein is originally from Fessenden and is currently the Republican party's assistant majority leader, a position he's held since 2013. He and his wife Bev have four children and 13 grandchildren.

Nelson, meanwhile, is a retired farmer from the Rugby area. He attended Minot State University and Dakota College at Bottineau, and has done work with the American Cancer Society, Wolford Wildlife Club, Wolford School Board and the Heart of America Medical Center

Weisz is a native of Hurdsfield, N.D., and is a farmer and businessman. He's married to his wife Lori and has two children.

He's done work with the Farm Bureau and was awarded Legislator of the Year for the N.D. EMS Association in 1999 and 2011, for the N.D. Township Officers Association in 2003 and 2009, and for Mental Health America in 2006.

"As legislators, they have an unwavering commitment to the rural communities they serve," states the press release. "Through their collective experience, wealth of knowledge and strong conservative values, Klein, Nelson and Weisz have always put District 14 residents first.

"With a shared commitment to community well-being, the trio focuses on policies that prioritize the needs of their constituents."

However, if the three incumbents want to keep representing their constituents, they'll first have to survice a challenge from within their own party.

"We all decided to run together after realizing we shared common values," states Steidl in the challengers' press release. "Our commitment is to remain transparent, accountable, and responsive to our constituents.

"We don't claim to know everything, and we're willing to listen to your concerns. We offer voters a conservative Republican choice, a vote for fiscal restraint, family values, constitutionalism, low taxes, protecting property rights and preserving our special rural culture here in North Dakota."

Steidl has owned a small electrical contracting business based out of Driscoll since 2018, and has two children. He earned his associate degree in electronics from NDSCS in 1992, and has traveled much of the country through his work.

He recently got involved in politics and was elected to the District 14 Republican committee.

Danduran, meanwhile, is well known in Eddy County.

A father of five and grandfather to 12, he has been a member of the Lions Club and Knights of Columbus, a council member for St. John's Parish, and has served on the New Rockford Park Board, Airport Authority and NRABC board. He has also been a New Rockford City Commissioner.

Danduran currently serves as 2nd Vice President of the District 14 Republican Party.

"North Dakotans are amazing people, with good values and an unmatched work ethic," said Danduran. "We have all the ingredients here to be successful in every way we need to. But between insane politicians in Washington, D.C. and well-intended people we send to Bismarck who are asleep at the wheel, we are not represented how we should be."

Karisa Grothe, a mother of two, comes from a multigenerational Minnesota farming family.

She is a graduate of St. Catherine University, where she studied medical sign language, and later worked for a small business that provided resources and materials for the deaf and hearing impaired.

Grothe's past work includes time as a paraplanner and financial advisor at Waddell & Reed Financial Services, and for 14 years, she was involved with Business Networking International, and served as president and vice president.

Grothe currently lives with her family in Baldwin.

"My family left Minnesota in part because of the high taxes and loss of freedoms we saw during Covid," said Grothe. "Living in North Dakota has become the greatest blessing for us, and I want to help preserve what we are so lucky to have.

"It's never been more important to elect strong conservatives who will adhere to their constitutional oaths and put the people first, over the bureaucracy, lobbyists and special interests," she added.

Voters in Eddy County will have their chance to vote for their choice between the incumbents and challengers at the primary elections on June 11.

For the challengers, their first major test will come at the District 14 Republican Party convention in Steele, N.D., on February 18, where they will contend for their party's official endorsement.

The Transcript will continue to report on this contested race as the election season continues. Each of the candidates will also be asked questions about important issues affecting District 14, and their answers will be published in a future Q & A in the newspaper.