Submitted Photo Energy was high during the Democratic-NPL state convention on March 7 in Bismarck. Photo by Kyle Martin for the North Dakota Monitor.

BISMARCK — North Dakota Democrats showed strong enthusiasm Saturday, March 7, at their state convention, with the strongest turnout in eight years and more candidates than recent election cycles.

But turning that energy into wins this November in a state with a Republican supermajority won’t be easy, veterans of political battles said.

“It’ll be tough,” said Merrill Piepkorn, a Democrat who lost a run for governor two years ago. “Just because it’s turning in other states doesn’t mean that that’s necessarily true in North Dakota. You’ve got to go out and earn it.”

Patrick Hart, who ran for lieutenant governor alongside Piepkorn, said he has “guarded optimism” about Democrats winning races this year.

The Democratic-NPL Party is packing venues and has been received better at parades, even in communities with Republican strongholds, Hart said.

“I definitely see a trend in the right direction,” he said. “There’s a lot of credible candidates.”

The convention had nearly 600 attendees including about 200 first-time delegates. Eighteen-year-old Carter Hass of Valley City, who will vote for the first time this year, said he was motivated to become a delegate after watching how Trump administration policies are affecting farmers.

“I see my neighbors struggling,” Hass said in an interview. “It’s important that young people stay involved right now.”

During the convention, Hass gave passionate remarks during the discussion on the party’s resolutions.

“My generation is watching this convention and watching the rebirth of the North Dakota Democratic Nonpartisan League, yet simultaneously they’re watching their future fade away,” Hass said.

Maggi Gadaire, a semi-retired nurse from West Fargo, also attended her first convention Saturday. Gadaire said she grew up in an apolitical family, but she was motivated this year to run for the Legislature in District 13, in part due to concerns about health care policy.

“As a senior citizen, I want to make sure my grandchildren are well taken care of,” Gadaire said. “If I don’t do something, who will?”

First-time attendee Nicholas Dorce of Williston said he’s been participating in No Kings rallies and decided to volunteer to be an alternate delegate to get more involved. Dorce said his mother is an immigrant and he’s passionate about human rights, which he sees as being under attack from Republicans.

“Anything that can be attacked right now, and is being attacked right now, will most directly affect me or someone I care about,” Dorce said.

Brian Skar of Berthold said he was active in the Dem-NPL Party about 20 years ago but stopped participating. This year, he said the negative tone in politics along with recent military engagements drove him to become a delegate at the state convention. He has also noticed higher enthusiasm for Democrats.

“I think a lot of it is because people are upset,” Skar said.

Democrats endorsed Trygve Hammer for U.S. House, a race that has Republican incumbent Julie Fedorchak seeking reelection. Fedorchak defeated Hammer in 2024 with about 69% of votes to his 30%.

This year could be tougher for Fedorchak, predicted former U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, the last Democrat to win statewide elected office in North Dakota.

“In an off-election year where people are deeply dissatisfied, it’s a disadvantage to be an incumbent,” said Heitkamp, who gave the closing address at Saturday’s convention.

In an interview, Heitkamp contrasted the Democrats’ convention to the upcoming North Dakota Republican Party convention, which many Republican office-holders are planning to skip amid a rift in the party. Heitkamp noted Democrats showed “unity of purpose versus a Republican Party apparatus who cannot even get their governor to their convention. That tells you that there’s trouble in paradise.”

Hart, treasurer for the state party, urged candidates to do more than promote an anti-Donald Trump message.

“We need to focus on how to fix the issues of hunger, skyrocketing college tuition, affordable housing, access to health care and runaway utility rates,” Hart said. “President Trump will leave and these problems are still going to be here.”