Also seeing the at-large US House candidate list (see North Dakota Senate above), it appears certain that state Senator and former North Dakota Republican Party chairman Kelly Armstrong will face former state Senate Minority Leader Mac Schneider in the general election.  Mr. Schneider is officially unopposed for the Democratic nomination, and Sen. Armstrong faces only two minor GOP candidates.  State party convention delegate endorsements earlier this month gave the pair the inside track to a November ballot position, and such is being fulfilled.

--Jim Ellis

The North Dakota Secretary of State published a list of qualified state candidates yesterday, and predictions that the general election for the Senate race is already set came true.  Such prognostications were made once Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D) and at-large Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-Bismarck) both won unanimous endorsements at the state party conventions held within the past couple of weeks.  Once the unified endorsements were made, the June 12th primary election for both parties appeared moot. 
 
On the Democratic side, Sen. Heitkamp is now officially unopposed in the party primary, while Rep. Cramer sees only former Niagra Mayor Thomas O’Neill coming forward to challenge him for the Republican nomination.  Therefore, the Heitkamp-Cramer general election is now a certainty. 

--Jim Ellis

Last weekend, state Senator and former ND Republican Party chairman Kelly Armstrong (R-Dickinson) won the official GOP endorsement at the state party convention.  Sen. Armstrong defeated state Sen. Tom Campbell (R-Grafton) who had been actively campaigning for the Senate prior to US Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-Bismarck) doing an about face and stepping forward to challenge Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D).  Mr. Campbell quickly pivoted into the House race upon Rep. Cramer’s Senate announcement. 
 
After losing the convention endorsement vote, Campbell promised to take the nomination fight to a primary, but now has changed his mind.  Yesterday, he dropped out of the race and endorsed Sen. Armstrong.  Now only minor candidates remain in a possible Republican primary.  Therefore, it appears a certainty that Sen. Armstrong and former state Senate Minority Leader Mac Schneider (D-Grand Forks) will be the respective party nominees for the general election campaign in the open at-large House seat.

--Jim Ellis

The North Dakota Republican endorsing convention was held over the weekend, and at-large Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-Bismarck) has for all intents and purposes clinched the party’s US Senate nomination.  Coming from the convention with unanimous delegate support and the official party endorsement, it is now probable that he will be unopposed in the June 12th Republican primary.  This virtually guarantees that a Cramer-Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D) general election pairing is a certainty.

--Jim Ellis

The North Dakota Democratic state convention was held this past weekend in Grand Forks.  Delegates awarded official party endorsements for their two federal offices on the ballot in 2018, and both winners have clinched the nomination.  In no surprise, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D) won endorsement for her re-election campaign.  In the at-large House race, former state Senate Minority Leader Mac Schneider (D-Grand Forks) topped the delegate vote, and his opponents then quickly followed suit to profess their support for the man who defeated them.  With no further opposition coming for the June 5th primary, Mr. Schneider will become the Democratic congressional nominee. 
 
North Dakota Republicans head to convention next month.  Currently, state Sens. Tom Campbell (R-Grafton) and Kelly Armstrong (R-Dickinson) are the announced at-large congressional candidates along with defense contractor Tiffany Abentroth, and businessman DeWayne Hendrickson.  The eventual nominee will begin the general election as the favorite to succeed Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-Bismarck).  The Congressman is leaving the House to challenge Sen. Heitkamp and is expected to clinch the Senate nomination at the Republican convention.

--Jim Ellis

Former state Senate Minority Leader Mac Schneider (D-Grand Forks) announced that he will compete in the upcoming March 15-18 Democratic state Party Convention for the open at-large congressional district nomination.  Delegates will vote to endorse a contender at that time.  Most often, those not receiving the endorsement do not force a primary. 
 
State Sen. John Grabinger (D-Jamestown) and ex-state Rep. Ben Hanson (D-Fargo) are already in the Democratic race.  The Republican endorsing convention will be held April 6-8.  The seat recently came open when US Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-Bismarck) announced his challenge to Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D).

--Jim Ellis

On the heels of at-large Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-Bismarck) reversing course and joining the Senate race, state Sen. Tom Campbell (R-Grafton) has now also changed political direction.  As expected, Mr. Campbell, who had been campaigning for the Senate nomination for the better part of a year, will now enter the open at-large House campaign, attempting to succeed Rep. Cramer.  Former state Republican Party chairman Gary Emineth, who briefly became a Senate candidate before receiving information that Rep. Cramer would himself run, said yesterday that he will not enter the open House race.   The April state party endorsement convention will go a long way toward deciding who competes in the November open seat campaign.

--Jim Ellis

Businessman and former state Republican Party chairman Gary Emineth confirmed yesterday that he will enter the 2018 North Dakota Senate race.  Mr. Emineth will face state Sen. Tom Campbell (R-Grafton) in the Republican primary, which may end at the state endorsement convention.  Most often, North Dakota candidates abide by the state delegates’ expressed preference.  The Emineth move had been expected since at-large US Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-Bismarck) passed on challenging incumbent Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D) in order to instead seek re-election.

--Jim Ellis

For months, at-large Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-Bismarck) has been saying that he’s considering challenging Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D) next year.  Yesterday, he made his long awaited for announcement, and decided to seek a fourth term in the House.  Mr. Cramer’s decision leaves only state Sen. Tom Campbell (R-Grafton) as a viable GOP candidate against Sen. Heitkamp.  The decision reverses the latest trend that we’ve witnessed of Representatives deciding to leave the House and either retire or pursue a different office.

--Jim Ellis