Brian Kalk To Announce US Senate Intentions Next Week

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Written By:
Rob Port

Jan 10, 2011
1:28pm

I have it on excellent authority from an in-the-know source that Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk will be announcing his intentions with regard to the 2012 Senate race next week.

I’m told that Kalk had actually been planning on announcing this week but postponed plans due to the tragedy in Tucson.

Conrad has been mentioned numerous times as one of the most vulnerable Congressional Democrats in the 2012 cycle, and indeed the the campaign advertising war in the race has already begun with the Senator (who still hasn’t confirmed whether or not he’s running in 2012) responding to ads run by interest groups.

Kalk’s is one of several names being mentioned by political observers as a possible challenger, along with Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, current Governor Jack Dalrymple and current Lt. Governor Drew Wrigley. I’ve heard rumors that recently-elected Senator John Hoeven is considering making former campaign manager and current Tax Commissioner Cory Fong his pick to run in 2012. The NRSC is also said to be in the state looking to recruit candidates, with a specific emphasis on female candidates (state Treasurer Kelly Schmidt would be the most obvious of these).

Kalk would make a formidable candidate. He’s well-connected politically and, in his first foray into electoral politics, ran a guerrilla campaign that surprised observers by stealing the NDGOP nomination for PSC from long time legislator and Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem in 2008.

It’s hard to imagine that Kalk would be announcing something other than his intention to run this early, and former NDGOP Chairman Gary Emineth predicted back in December that Kalk would be running.