Published 12:24 IST, November 5th 2020
US election 2020: Republican who died of COVID-19 last month wins North Dakota seat
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum named a coal executive to a House seat won by a deceased candidate in US election 2020 but was prohibited by attorney general.
On November 4, a Republican Senate House candidate who died earlier this month due to the novel coronavirus won one of two seats for election, North Dakota’s attorney general said. According to AP, GOP will now have to choose a replacement unless there was a special election in the district demanded by a sufficient number of voters. Andahl won the Republican seat along with Dave Nehring in heated primary competition in June.
Meanwhile, the North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum named a coal executive to a House seat won by a deceased candidate, although, he has no authority to fill in a state House seat won by a 55-year-old Republican candidate. The attorney general’s orders prohibited Burgum to appoint BNI Energy President Wade Boeshans. The attorney has said that Andahl along with fellow District 8 House candidate Dave Nehring is the top winner for Republicans’ endorsements as per the secretary of state’s office and only GOP could replace candidature in the rural district north of Bismarck.
Pat Andahl, Rep. candidate’s mother told reporters of The Bismarck Tribune that her son had a lot of feelings for his county. He wanted to make things better, she said, adding, his heart was in farming. He wanted things better for farmers and the coal industry, Pat stressed. In October the Associated Press declared that North Dakota State legislative Andahl passed away due to complications from the COVID-19.
Seat open to 'anybody'
Meanwhile, State Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem insisted that all the ballots for the Republican candidate shall still be counted. If he at all won, there’ll be a vacancy for his seat, Stenehjem told local daily The Bismarck Tribune. District 8 Republican Chairman Loren DeWitz, on the other hand, said that Andahl’s seat is open to anybody who would like to seek it, adding that he wants it to be wide “open and fair.”
In ballots counted November 4 morning, Republican David Andahl led with 35 percent of the vote in the district and his running mate Nehring secured nearly 40 percent, according to the state election board’s tally. Pat was quoted by AP as saying, that Andahl was “very passionate about so many things, and was hoping that he could get into the Legislature and be of some help. He was looking forward to it. He was looking forward to being part of that.”
(Image Credit: Twitter/@hermancainmedal)
Updated 12:22 IST, November 5th 2020