Dissatisfied Democrat Legislator In North Dakota Considering Bailing On His Party

Rep. Rod Froelich, a Democrat from North Dakota’s 31st legislative district, has been rumored to not be very happy with his party right now. So dissatisfied, in fact, that he may be contemplating a switch in parties.
To confirm the rumors, I spoke with Rep. Froelich this evening. He confirmed to me that the dissatisfaction sf very real. He says that he no longer wants to serve in the House because it has become “too partisan,” and was thinking about a jump to the Senate chamber. There was a Senate seat available in his district, vacated by fellow Democrat Aaron Krauter who was appointed as North Dakota director of the federal Farm Services Agency, but Froelich said the party leadership in his district passed him over for another candidate (Terryl Jacobs of Regent).
He felt this was unfair given his 12 years of service in the House.
At this point, Froelich is positive he will not be returning to the House chamber. He is considering seeking his party’s nomination to run for the Senate seat anyway despite party leadership passing him over, and if he does seek the seat and his party does deny him their nomination he is willing to explore options such as running as an independent or a Republican though at this point he’s so frustrated he’s not even sure if he’ll be attending his party’s district convention. He’s had the information for running a campaign as an independent mailed to him.
Froelich has told me that he’s always seen himself as independent, but has also been approached by Republican leadership in the past who considers him to be more conservative than many legislators who are already Republicans.
In a year where North Dakota Democrats are not only reeling from the retirement of Byron Dorgan and desperately seeking a replacement candidate for him among their shallow roster prospects but also trying to prop up Rep. Pomeroy in what will undoubtedly be the entrenched 9-term incumbent’s toughest re-election race yet, Froelich’s malcontent is yet more evidence of a party struggling to keep its head above water.