Banks announces candidacy for District 33

Bismarck, ND — Morton County resident Kimball Banks has announced he is seeking the Democratic-NPL Party’s endorsement for representative in District 33 of the state legislature at the party’s February 7 Region 6 District Convention in Bismarck.

Banks is a retired federal executive, but still professionally active, with deep expertise in infrastructure development and resource management.

“It was the failure of District 33 Senator Keith Boehm and Representative Bill Tveit to support state-funded school meals,” Banks said was the motivation for him to run for office. “Also, the voters in District 33 have not had alternative choices for candidates since at least since the 2014 election,” Banks added, “and the Republicans’ focus has been on issues such as book bans rather than addressing more pressing issues such as affordable housing, day care, and tax breaks for out-of-state corporations but not for small local businesses.”

Banks also added, “From my early days as a welder, farmhand, and construction worker to managing complex federal projects, I’ve never been afraid of hard work, and I’m committed to bringing that same work ethic and accountability to the state legislature.”

Banks, who has resided in North Dakota since 1989, has over two decades of federal service experience, including key roles with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Reclamation. As a grants and agreements officer for the Great Plains Region, he oversaw multi-million dollar contracts for critical infrastructure projects and assisted in developing resource management plans for reservoirs across North and South Dakota.

As a former regional manager of a Bismarck-based cultural resource firm, he collaborated with planners, developers, and government agencies to balance economic development with preservation of significant cultural resources. His work earned him recognition as the 1998 Federal Civil Servant of the Year by the Bismarck-Mandan Federal Executive Association.

Banks has a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from the University of California, and a master’s degree and PhD in anthropology from Southern Methodist University.

Banks is married and has three adult children and five grandchildren.