Paul Sorum Is Running As An Independent For Governor After All

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Written By:
Rob Port

Sep 8, 2012
1:25pm

Previously I’d reported here that Paul Sorum, who had run for the NDGOP’s gubernatorial nomination against Jack Dalrymple and lost at the convention, was gathering signatures to run on the ballot as an independent. After I reported that, Sorum called me to say he’d decided not to run saying it would do more harm than good for the issues he’d hope to raise as an independent candidate.

But now, according to the Secretary of State website, Sorum has filed and will be on the ballot as an independent.

Michael Coachman his running mate for lieutenant governor.

Sorum had told me previously that, despite his decision at the time not to run, that some of his supporters were continuing to collect signatures. Either their success changed Sorum’s mind again or he wasn’t being entirely truthful with me when he said he’d run.

Politically, though I understand and sympathize with Sorum’s motivations for running, he probably won’t have much of an impact on the race. Dalrymple is leading Democrat Ryan Taylor by a wide margin, much larger than any level of support Sorum could hope to pull from the Republican ticket.

And Sorum may face a lot of resentment from Republicans over this move. At the convention he endorsed Dalrymple after his loss. That, coupled with his indecisiveness over an independent run, isn’t likely to inspire a lot of broad support from conservatives in the state, and his appeal to Democrats is minimal.