VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The following is a response to Republican District 24 Representative Dwight Kiefert’s news release posted on NewsDakota.com back on March 15th.
The following is a rebuttal by District 24 Republican Party Chairman Dan Johnston.
“I am deeply saddened to hear of Rep. Kiefert’s decision to bypass the upcoming District 24 Republican Endorsing Convention. The endorsing process is one of the most important functions of the party. It is held every election year to carefully vet all the candidates, so voters can decide which ones are best suited to represent them in the state legislature. Rep. Kiefert’s excuse for not participating comes across as mean-spirited, capricious, and without merit. He states that his reason for not seeking the district party’s endorsement is “most of the leadership’s decision to be part of an anti-government Libertarian movement that is attempting to take control of our State Legislature.” Kiefert well knows that the Libertarians already have their own party and do not need to try to take over the GOP. Moreover, as an incumbent legislator, Kiefert is automatically a member of the Exec Committee of this district, and is, therefore, part of “the leadership” he criticizes. He has every opportunity to attend district meetings and use his influence to direct district policies, but he has chosen to exclude himself from the Republican organization in our district.
Kiefert has also chosen to exclude himself from daily attendance at the legislature. He is the only one out of 141 elected legislators who was absent every single day of the entire regular session! 140 other men and women took time out of their daily lives, away from their families and jobs and businesses, drove hundreds of thousands of miles to and from Bismarck from every corner of the state during the four most miserable and treacherous months of the year and assembled for 75 days to tend to the business of the state, while Rep. Dwight Kiefert stayed safely home on the farm in Barnes County. Sitting on the sofa with his slippers on in the comfort and convenience of his own home, “participating” in the legislature by “ZOOM” is not what the voters of District 24 thought they were going to get when they elected Dwight!
Republicans know that their party is a “Big Tent” party. There are many shades of red, white, and blue in the GOP. There are liberals like Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney, (sportingly referred to as RINOS by conservatives), former Democrats, like Ronald Reagan and John Hoeven, and, yes, even former Libertarians. Fortunately, the party maintains a growing list of pro-American resolutions and principles which most Republicans, and…in fact, most North Dakotans… support. Among other things, these resolutions support the sanctity of life, preservation of the Second Amendment, limited government, parental rights, and private property. Unfortunately, not everyone who calls himself a Republican adheres to the GOP platform. Some folks just use the party to get elected. That’s why it is so important to meet these candidates personally and to be able to discuss issues with them to know where they stand and how they will vote. This is why local districts organize meet-and-greets and endorsing conventions. This is why candidates should participate. It seems very strange for a candidate to boycott such an opportunity to meet the voters.
Some candidates already have “track records” and may not want to have to explain or justify unpopular votes. Is this Kiefert’s problem? During the 2017 legislative session, Rep. Kiefert received a rating of 48% by the American Conservative Union. The ACU, an affiliate of CPAC, is considered the benchmark for rating Republican principles, or in other words, the things grass root Republicans care about! Rep.Kiefert’s voting record was cited as one reason for his censure by District 24 members last year. While he has bumped up his score to the low sixties, his performance is disappointing. He’s weak on taxes, budget, and spending and always has been. Voting against Republican principles and bills 52% of the time does not win the endearment of the party faithful who organize the rallies and parades and fund-raisers back home!
As Chairman of District 24, I do see a way forward for Rep. Kiefert.
1. Participate in District party events, thereby making himself accessible to the rank and file.
2, Help raise funds for the District. All endorsed candidates benefit from the party’s efforts to promote them.
3. If he is reelected, he should show up at his desk in Bismarck, and participate in person.
4. Quit back-stabbing and “dissing” the people who have supported him and voted for him in the past.
5. Participate in the upcoming District and state conventions. At present, it appears that Kiefert is the only D 24 incumbent who will NOT be in attendance. This is unfortunate considering his feigned concern for “takeovers.”
In conclusion, to change the subject, if any of you are interested in attending the convention, get in touch with me. All 48 regular delegate spots have been filled, but we still have a number of “alternate delegate” spots to fill for the State Convention to be held in Bismarck, April 1 and 2nd at the Civic Center. The State Republican convention is always a spirited reunion with like-minded friends and allies from all over the state, and it’s a great way to participate in the political life of North Dakota.”
Humbly at your service, Dan Johnston – Chairman District 24 Republicans
Feature photo is a file photo of Dan Johnston.