FEATURED GUESTS: DNC Midwest Region President Ron Harris, left, will speak at the Friday, March 6 evening dinner. Harris served as Minnesota State Campaign Director for Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential race and as Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Minneapolis. Harris has been on the front lines of responding to the chaos of heavily armed, masked federal agents in Minnesota and has organized Democrats across the state in local, statewide, and federal elections. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston will speak Saturday, March 7. Under Johnston’s leadership, Denver has achieved historic reductions in street homelessness, enhanced public safety, expanded affordable housing, and invested in revitalizing its downtown.

North Dakota Dem-NPL Gathers in Bismarck for First Major Convention of 2026 Midterm Cycle

DNC Midwest Region President Ron Harris will speak at Friday Evening’s Dinner with Democrats. Harris served as Minnesota State Campaign Director for Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential race and as Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Minneapolis.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston will address the delegates of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Convention on March 7. Since the start of his administration, Denver has achieved historic reductions in street homelessness, enhanced public safety, expanded affordable housing, and invested in revitalizing its downtown. Mayor Johnston started his career as a high school English teacher in the Mississippi Delta. He returned to Colorado to become a school principal, leading three different schools in the Denver metro area, and later served as a senior education advisor to President Obama.

North Dakota Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn said, “We’re thrilled to bring Mayor Mike Johnston and DNC Midwest Chair Ron Harris to North Dakota. Under Mayor Johnston, Denver has seen the largest reduction in homelessness and homicides. Ron has been on the front lines of responding to the chaos of heavily armed, masked federal agents in Minnesota and has organized Democrats across the state in local, statewide, and federal elections. Democrats fight for strong and safe communities, and these men exemplify that.”

With the 2026 midterm elections looming and an energized base reporting record-breaking district convention turnout, the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party is set to convene at Bismarck State College from Friday, March 6 through Sunday, March 8 — kicking off what party leaders are calling a new chapter for Democrats in what had previously been described as a “reliably Republican” state. But that support is collapsing like a house of cards as North Dakota’s Republican-controlled state legislature has been caught committing crimes and ethics violations while actively working against the will of the people, and as President Donald Trump lives a life of self-enrichment while he ignores affordability issues for Americans and imposes extremely damaging tariff and farm economic policies across America, including North Dakota, while the state’s congressional delegation – Julie Fedorchak, Kevin Cramer, and John Hoeven – has been unable to muster an ounce of courage to voice their opposition or act as a separate branch of government to hold the president in check.

The convention, themed “Unite For Our Future,” will bring together delegates, alternates, candidates, and party activists from across North Dakota for a weekend of organizing, candidate endorsements, and platform business. All official business will take place on Saturday, March 7.

Friday’s events will be held at the National Energy Center of Excellence on the Bismarck State College campus, while Saturday’s official business will move to the Advanced Technology Center at the same location, 1200 Schafer St.

A Party Sensing Momentum

Attendance at district conventions nearly quadrupled from recent years, with new people participating in the process — an estimated 300 people showed up to a combined Bismarck-Mandan event on February 7. That event saw 12 Democratic candidates receive endorsements in the Bismarck-Mandan area, the most since 2016.

“We’re quite excited about the prospect of a very unified, coordinated campaign with all of our legislative candidates in the Bismarck-Mandan area,” said Bob Valeu, chair of the Bismarck-Mandan Dem-NPL organization.

Fourteen legislative districts had already reported full slates of delegates for the convention with weeks still to go, according to communications and digital director Laura Dronen.

Convention Planning Chair and party Secretary Kari Breker framed the gathering in starkly national terms. “At a moment when division threatens progress, we come together — across generations, communities, and regions — to reaffirm that democracy works best when everyone has a voice and a stake in what comes next,” Breker said. “This convention is about leadership rooted in hope, action over cynicism, and unity as the engine of lasting change. Together, we are not just defending democracy — we are building a future worthy of the next generation.” KFGO

Endorsements on the Table

The convention’s central business will be formally endorsing candidates across several major offices. The convention will issue endorsements for candidates running for North Dakota Attorney General, Secretary of State, Commissioner of Agriculture, Tax Commissioner, and two Public Service Commission seats. Delegates will also endorse a candidate for North Dakota’s at-large congressional district, currently held by Republican Representative Julie Fedorchak.

The congressional race has already drawn at least one prominent contender. Trygve Hammer, who ran for Congress in 2024, is seeking the seat once again. Hammer has been making the rounds at district conventions ahead of the state gathering, generating enthusiasm. Speaking to a packed auditorium at the Bismarck-Mandan district convention, Hammer said, “We have no voice in Congress. We deserve better, our military families deserve better.” He told reporters there is “amazing energy and huge crowds everywhere we go.”

On the statewide front, the party has been more cautious. Cheryl Biller, executive director for the Democratic-NPL Party, said talks with potential statewide candidates are ongoing. “We absolutely expect to have more statewide candidates by the time we get to convention,” Biller said.

The Uphill Climb

Despite the enthusiasm, Democrats face a steep hill in North Dakota. North Dakota Republicans hold a supermajority in the state Legislature, outnumbering Democrats 42–5 in the Senate and 83–11 in the House. The Bismarck-Mandan area has not elected a Democrat to the Legislature since 2018.

Still, party officials point to this year’s candidate recruitment as a sign of progress. Democrats have legislative candidates running in all but one regional district in the Bismarck-Mandan area this cycle.

The North Dakota Republican Party will hold its own state convention at the end of March in Minot.

Convention at a Glance

Location: Bismarck State College, 1200 Schafer St., Bismarck, N.D.

Friday, March 6 (National Energy Center of Excellence — NECE)

• Convention opens; delegates, alternates, guests, and press check in and credential
• Kickoff programming and party gatherings (specific programming not publicly released as of press time)
• Casual networking and social events for delegates and attendees

Saturday, March 7 — Official Business Day (Advanced Technology Center — ATC)

• Breakfast for delegates and alternates
• Convention called to order; official gavel-in
• Credentialing of delegates
• Party platform and resolutions
• Candidate speeches and presentations
• Formal endorsement votes for:
  • U.S. House at-large (currently held by Rep. Julie Fedorchak)
  • North Dakota Attorney General
  • North Dakota Secretary of State
  • North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture
  • North Dakota Tax Commissioner
  • North Dakota Public Service Commission (two seats)
• Lunch for delegates and alternates
• Continued floor business and any remaining endorsement proceedings
• Dinner for delegates and alternates

Sunday, March 8 (Bismarck State College campus)

• Convention concludes by noon; wrap-up activities
• Convention adjourns

Click here to visit the convention event site for more information, maps, and other details, including buying tickets.