Leadership Change May Be in the Works for North Dakota Democratic Party
District 42 Rep. Kylie Oversen is recognized as woman of the year by the North Dakota Women’s Network . photo by Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald
According to a Democratic insider with knowledge of the discussions, there’s a movement afoot to replace party chairwoman Kylie Oversen with someone else.
Oversen presided over what was a disastrous 2016 election cycle for the Democrats, yet maintains her leadership post in the 2018 cycle despite deciding to also launch a campaign for Tax Commissioner against Republican incumbent Ryan Rauschenberger.
[mks_pullquote align=”left” width=”300″ size=”24″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]”They’ve finally acknowledged they need someone better than the incompetent Kylie Oversen to lead the party this election season,” my source told me.[/mks_pullquote]
“They’ve finally acknowledged they need someone better than the incompetent Kylie Oversen to lead the party this election season,” my source told me. “After all, Hanson has skills in organizing, fund-raising, social media targeting, get-out-the-vote efforts — abilities that are useful in the party chairman’s job. He has more than $100,000 left over from his House campaign. And he is willing to work.”
I reached out to Oversen as well as Hanson for comment. Neither immediately responded. Oversen is an employee of Schneider’s law practice. Hanson lost the nomination for the U.S. House race to Schneider at the Democratic state convention last month.
My source, however, thinks Hanson may have already accepted the gig.
“It’s a lousy idea for Ben, to put it mildly, but I hear he is seriously considering it and may even have agreed to do it,” my source said, adding that someone like former Congressman Earl Pomeroy might be a better choice for party leader.
“He gave Mac’s nominating speech at the convention. Mac worked on Pomeroy’s staff when Pomeroy was in Congress,” my source said of the former Congressman. “Pomeroy has fund-raising connections built up during a career as North Dakota’s congressman and insurance commissioner, and now as a Washington lobbyist. And with Pomeroy as chairman, we could have a full-tilt-boogie grudge match against Rick Berg, the new North Dakota Republican chairman and former congressman who beat Pomeroy in 2010.”
