However, the first day of the convention was largely defined by who was not there due to the absence of all statewide Republican incumbents. By the conclusion of days proceedings on Saturday, the North Dakota GOP failed to endorse a full slate of state-wide candidates and voted to strip the Republican branding from the absent incumbents. The motion was brought by Jerol Gohrick, the chair of District 2 GOP, after NDGOP Chair Matthew Simon formally announced the party would not endorse candidates for attorney general, secretary of state, tax commissioner, agriculture commissioner and a two-year term seat on the Public Service Commission. Only two candidates met filing requirements to receive endorsements at the convention: Alex Balazs for the U.S. House and Deven Styczynski of Enderlin who is running for a six-year term on the Public Service Commission.

While Gohrick’s motion elicited a strong positive response from the delegates, it faced immediate opposition from Crystal Dueker of Fargo. Dueker appealed to her fellow delegates, calling the absent incumbents “our friends.”

“I’m so disgusted. I’m disgusted that we’re having this argument. We’re having this battle. We’re shooting each other. That’s not American. I defy you to give me justification for why we aren’t supporting our candidates,” Dueker said. “I ask you please, don’t do this.”

Other delegates like Clint Feland called the incumbents, “so-called candidates,” and said there should be consequences for their lack of participation in the convention. Charles Tuttle of Minot said the absent incumbents and Gov. Kelly Armstrong didn’t represent the republican voters of their districts given their decision not to show up and therefore didn’t deserve to represent the brand.

CHARLES CRANE/MDN Two district delegates deliberate their vote regarding a motion to remove the Republican brand from absent incumbent candidates for statewide offices.

“I was told ‘Oh we’ll get sued.’ ya think the governor suing the GOP for taking the brand away from him is going to look good nationally? I would think not. We want to have republicans within our party. We need to get the cancer that’s not republican out of our party,” Tuttle said.

The delegates debated the motion and several amendments throughout the afternoon, including the question of whether or not the assembled body even had the power to strip the brand in the first place. By the end of the day, the motion to strip the branding won out 318 votes to 312. Simon acknowledged during the process that under current state law the party can’t control who appears on the ballot and what their party affiliation is labeled as, with several delegates suggesting the convention defer to the legislature to make desired changes.

On Sunday, an attempt to reconsider the motion to strip the branding from the incumbents failed 311-297.

CHARLES CRANE/MDN North Dakota GOP Chair Matthew Simon listens to a comment from the parliamentarian during the state convention on Saturday, March 28.

CHARLES CRANE/MDN The North Dakota State Republican Convention delegates prepare to begin a ballot vote on whether the assembled body had the power to strip the Republican "brand" from incumbent candidates who did not attend.