VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – A recall sponsoring committee made up of District 24 Republicans are leading an effort to recall District 24 Representative Dwight Kiefert.
Secretary of State Al Jaeger approved the recall petition for circulation on Monday, July 19th. The number of qualified elector signatures required for this petition is 1,764. Signers have to be a resident and U.S. citizen of Barnes County North Dakota for more than thirty days.
Recall committee chairman Shane Anderson said Representative Kiefert is being recalled for failing to meet the standards of a Republican representing District 24. He said the standards that we hold Representative Kiefert to are espoused in the North Dakota Republican Party platform, the N.D. Constitution and the U.S. Constitution. He said after careful examination, we have concluded that Representative Kiefert has not committed to these standards and that a recall of his current term is the only recourse for the voting constituents of District 24.
In April of 2021, a majority of District 24 Republican Party members passed a resolution to censure Representative Kiefert.
At that time, Republican Party Treasurer Shane Anderson submitted a resolution that centered on Representative Kiefert’s vote to remove and expel fellow legislator Representative Luke Simons without due process, which the resolution said, goes against established legislative rules and the constitution. The District 24 Republican Party resolution passed on a voice vote in April with some opposition to the resolution according to Anderson. The resolution requested that Representative Kiefert resign for failing to uphold the adopted legislative rules of procedure without due process for Representative Simons.
But, Representative Kiefert told NewsDakota.com that he would not resign. He said these members of the District 24 Republican Party, who are behind this recall effort are actually Libertarians masquerading as Republican. He said they are attempting to take over District 24 with their political agenda.
The full recall petition is attached below.