2 Williston Democrats miss voter minimum, won’t advance to general election

Two Democratic-NPL candidates from Williston will not advance to the general election in November because they did not receive the minimum number of votes required under state law. 

Mark Casler received 103 votes and Michael Steele 97 votes amid low turnout for Tuesday’s primary for the two District 23 House seats. They needed at least 163 votes, which is based on 1% of the district population as outlined in state law, according to the North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office.

“We’re disappointed, but it is the law,” Casler said Wednesday. 

There was no Democratic candidate for the Senate seat in District 23, which is predominantly Republican. 

Voter turnout in North Dakota at about 21% for primary

The winners of Tuesday’s Republican primary will likely face no opposition in the November general election. 

Todd Beard was unopposed for Senate. Corey Johnson and Dennis Nehring prevailed in a House race against Sharlet Mohr. 

Casler and Steele said the low voter turnout in the district was a problem. Williams County, which includes Williston, was on the low end for North Dakota counties with less than 15% turnout. Statewide turnout was less than 21%.

“A lot of our population thinks nothing’s going to change anyway,” Steele said of the lack of interest in the primary.

District 23 also is in an area that is a Republican stronghold and more rural than neighboring District 1, which has the core neighborhoods of Williston. Neither district fielded any Dem-NPL legislative candidates in 2022. 

Casler said Democrats in District 23 will help support the party in District 1, which has a full slate of legislative candidates as Democrats try to chip away at the Republican supermajority in the Legislature.

Reach North Dakota Monitor deputy editor Jeff Beach at [email protected]