FARGO, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota’s two Republican candidates for governor — U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong and Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller — have consistently put their support for former President Donald Trump at the center of their campaigns.

That trend continued Thursday during a televised debate as they denounced Trump’s conviction by a Manhattan jury, which just a few hours earlier found him guilty on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records.

Miller called it “typical politics” and said the only reason Trump was charged in the first place was to harm his chances of reelection.

Armstrong, a former criminal defense attorney, said he struggled to understand the conviction.

“I talked to President Trump this morning and just told him to keep his head up,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong was endorsed by Trump earlier Thursday. Miller, meanwhile, has been endorsed by Gov. Doug Burgum.

The showdown was hosted by the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce.

Here are other top takeaways from the debate:

Tax reform

Armstrong and Miller both named tax reform as a main goal, but said they would take different paths to get there.

Armstrong said if elected, his first priority would be reducing property taxes.

“People are angry, people are frustrated,” he said. “People don’t want long-term property tax relief — they want immediate tax relief, and they want reform.”

Miller said she supports exploring options for reducing property taxes, but that her main focus would be eliminating North Dakota’s income tax — an idea Burgum has also been a vocal proponent of.

“We do need to make sure there is still local control for property tax solutions,” Miller said.

Both Armstrong and Miller said they do not support a proposed ballot measure that would eliminate taxes based on property value in North Dakota.

Tribal issues

The candidates were also asked to speak on issues facing the five Native American tribes that share geography with North Dakota.

Miller called economic development a leading concern, noting an important source of revenue for the tribes — gaming — has taken a hit in the past few years.

Miller highlighted her experience chairing the Indian Affairs Commission while Burgum was campaigning for governor, as well as attending government conferences with tribal communities.

Armstrong agreed, but also called attention to school funding, substance abuse, mental health and criminal justice reform.

Drawing from his time as a criminal defense lawyer, he said people who are arrested on reservations are often tried in federal court — and therefore may face harsher sentences than those convicted of equivalent offenses in state court.

“You steal a lot of people in the young adult age, from 18 to 20, for 10 years of their life,” he said. “That doesn’t necessarily happen with the same equivalent in the state court.”

Marijuana legalization

A petition to let voters decide whether to legalize the adult recreational use of marijuana has been circulating in North Dakota since late April.

When asked for her take on the measure, Miller took a neutral stance. She said she has some concerns about legalization, but if the proposal goes to the ballot, she would embrace whatever choice voters make.

Armstrong said if the measure is on the ballot in November he will vote no, and that he thinks North Dakota has already done a good job reducing penalties for marijuana-related offenses.

Term limits

Candidates also weighed in on a measure approved by voters in 2022 that sets term limits for state lawmakers and the governor.

The measure bars lawmakers from serving more than eight years in the House of Representatives and eight years in the Senate. Up to 69 legislators could reach the end of their term limits in 2028, and another 72 in 2030, according to research by Legislative Council.

Miller said she supports the law, and feels that all elected offices should have term limits.

“It is going to be kind of an exciting time with term limits, because we will bring in folks with a lot of new ideas,” Miller said.

Armstrong said the governor’s office and other department heads in the state government  should work to “build trust” with freshman lawmakers, who will be reliant on state institutions to learn the ropes of the legislative process.

“The vast majority of people who run for office, run for office on one issue,” he said. “But when they get to that seat, whether it’s in the North Dakota House or the North Dakota Senate, they don’t only get to deal with one issue.”

Legacy Fund

The candidates spoke about the Legacy Fund, which acts as a trust fund for the state — providing a source of revenue in the event North Dakota’s energy economy goes downhill. The fund was created through a constitutional amendment approved by North Dakotans in 2010. Its value recently surpassed $10 billion.

Armstrong said North Dakota is “addicted to energy money” and needs a plan for when its natural resources run out.

“That fund absolutely has to replace that revenue stream, because no matter what we get out of it, sooner or later, it’s a finite resource,” Armstrong said.

However, he said the Legacy Fund should be more transparent.

Miller was complimentary of the fund, and didn’t speak to her position on Legacy Fund transparency. She has said previously that she feels the state is sufficiently forthcoming about the fund’s investments.

“I do think the Legacy Fund is making some good investments in our state, and the earnings are also making some good investments as well,” she said.

Positive comments

The candidates, who have run negative ads against one another, were asked by moderators to say one positive thing about their opponent.

Miller said she does not know Armstrong particularly well, but that he seems to be a good father.

Armstrong said Miller has been “an incredibly successful business person” and he thinks she “has North Dakota’s best interest at heart.”

Armstrong has served in Congress since 2019. He’s a former state senator, criminal defense lawyer and the former vice president of Armstrong Corp., an energy and agriculture company.

Miller is a former CEO of Border States Electric. She joined Burgum’s office in 2020, and was appointed lieutenant governor in early 2023.

Armstrong’s running mate is Rep. Michelle Strinden, R-Fargo, who was endorsed for lieutenant governor at the convention. Miller is running alongside Commerce Commissioner Josh Teigen.

Armstrong was endorsed by the North Dakota Republican Party at its state convention in April. Miller did not seek the party’s endorsement, choosing to hold campaign events instead.

State Sen. Merrill Piepkorn, D-Fargo, is running as a Democratic-NPL candidate. His running mate is Patrick Hart, who owns a construction business and is a former state employee.