The convention, held at the old KC Club in Minot, saw a large turnout of about 130 attendees, of which more than 100 were voting members, reflecting a strong interest and engagement within the District 40 community.

District 40 Chairman Jay Lundeen, was pleased with the convention’s turnout and the endorsement of the candidates.

“We are excited to see the turnout in District 40 for this important occasion. We are thankful to have our candidates endorsed and will be supporting them in the primary and general election,” Lundeen said.

Castaneda was born in Mexico City and his family legally immigrated to the United States in 1985. In 1992 he became an American citizen. He was raised in Tucson, Arizona, and graduated as a second lieutenant from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2000.

Matt Ruby

In his 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, he served as an instructor pilot at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, and a B-52 pilot. He was stationed at Minot AFB from 2008 to 2013 and after two and a half years at the Pentagon, he requested to return to Minot to finish his last assignment from 2016 until his retirement in 2020.

He now serves as a medevac pilot, flying to and from Minot International Airport.

Bolinske grew up in Minot, graduated from Bishop Ryan Catholic School and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of North Dakota. She and her husband, Ben, have coached within the Minot Public School District.

In 2014, Bolinske was chosen as Miss Norsk Hostfest, which led to her involvement with the Miss America Organization. In 2016, she was crowned Miss North Dakota, representing the state at the 2017 Miss America competition. Her professional experience includes working as a case manager, paraprofessional and financial administrator for local businesses.

Ruby was first elected to the House in 2016. He had served on the Human Services Committee as the vice chair, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Education Committee. A Minot native, he has been with the North Dakota Army National Guard since 2010 and has operated a construction company.

Jose Castaneda

Long-time District 40 Sen. Karen Krebsbach will be retiring from the Legislature, and Larry Bellew resigned from the House at the end of 2023 due to moving out of state. JoAnne Rademacher was appointed to fill the House seat but did not seek to run.

The primary election is June 11, followed by the general election on Nov. 5.