Port: The NDGOP has eschewed Trump’s excesses, and it’s served them well
MINOT, N.D. — Across the nation, Republicans had a very bad night last Tuesday. They were expected to sweep back into majorities in Senate and the House. They ended up falling short in the Senate, and while there are still some races yet to finish, there is a not-zero chance that they fall short of taking a narrow majority in the House too .
But in North Dakota, the NDGOP had a very good night.
Sen. John Hoeven cruised to re-election in a three-way race despite a vigorous challenge from the Trump-aligned right.
Congressman Kelly Armstrong, too, turned his re-election into a layup despite a challenge from a celebrity candidate backed by the Democrats.
The NDGOP candidates won every single statewide office in landslides and managed to whittle down the Democratic superminority in the state Legislature to a caucus so small it now holds just a bit more than 10% of the seats there.
Only Republicans in Florida had a better night. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a contender for the presidency in 2024, and a top rival in that race to disgraced former President Donald Trump, is ascendant.
But let’s get local.
Why did North Dakota Republicans outperform their national counterparts?
