Spotlight on the ND At-Large Congressional District

Submitted by IP on Thu, 2010-04-15 12:52
Republican Winner, Rick Berg
North Dakota’s At-Large Congressional District is the sole congressional district for the entire state of North Dakota and as such, is one of the largest districts in the entire U.S. When it comes to presidential voting. North Dakota is one of the most conservative states in the nation. George W. Bush carried the state in 2000 and 2004 by nearly 30 points! Barack did better, but still fell short of John McCain by 8. Since 1992, the district was represented by Democrat Earl Pomeroy. Earlier this year, it was speculated that Pomeroy might follow the lead of ND Senator and fellow Democrat Byron Dorgan and retire, but that proved not to be the case. He stayed for a go at his tenth term. Once thought to have an independent streak, Pomeroy showed in recent years that he was all too willing to toe the party line. His vote for the government health care takeover may have been the last straw for North Dakotans. State Representative Rick Berg mounted a serious challenge to the incumbent, proving to be one of the best candidates Republicans recruited to face Pomeroy in recent years. Berg emerged victorious on November 2, taking 55% of the vote to Pomeroy's 45%. North Dakotans were rewarded with a real conservative as their representative, rather than a pretender like Pomeroy.
Rick Berg
  • Native of North Dakota (Maddock, Hettlinger)
  • North Dakota State, Bachelor’s in Ag Economics
  • Member, ND House of Representatives since 1984, served as Majority Leader and Speaker
  • Member, Board of Directors of the Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corp.
  • Awarded the Greater North Dakotan Award, the highest honor given by the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce,

ISSUES

  • Washington: Washington has ignored the will of the people and has this country heading in the wrong direction. We are at an important place in our nation’s history and we must start thinking about the next generation, not the next election. 
  • Jobs: Small business is the backbone of our economy. 
  • Taxes: We must first stop the current House Leadership from raising our taxes, and then look for ways to lower the tax burden on families and small businesses. Rick has pledged his support for the permanent repeal of the Death Tax.
  • Spending: The taxpayer-funded bailouts and out of control spending coming from Washington must stop. Rick fully supports the concept of a Balanced Budget Amendment.
  • Healthcare: Interstate insurance competition, regulatory reform, streamlining the system to eliminate waste, increased fraud enforcement, elimination of defensive medicine, and tort reform must all be part of the solution. Lower costs will improve access, help America be more competitive in a global market and help business grow and add the jobs our country desperately needs. 
  • Social Security: We must find a way to preserve and strengthen Social Security without raising payroll taxes, reducing benefits, increasing the retirement age, or privatizing the system so it is available to all Americans for generations to come.
  • Energy: Rick supports a comprehensive energy policy that moves America away from our dependence on foreign oil and capitalizes on our own vast resources. He believes we must streamline the approval process for building nuclear power plants using the latest technologies and provide the regulatory oversight necessary to ensure their safe operation.
  • Veterans: We must ensure veterans receive the medical attention and benefits they earn.
  • Agriculture: Rick believes we need to continue to expand the open markets for the American farmer, and that we can make crop insurance more comprehensive so that when our farmers go into the field they will know they’re covered by both field and input cost if they choose.
  • Immigration: Congress needs to pass meaningful legislation to secure our borders from illegal immigrants, terrorists, and drug traffickers, while rejecting amnesty and giving businesses the tools necessary to verify citizenship.
  • Family Values: Rick is a strong social conservative and will protect traditional Judeo-Christian values which have made this country strong.
  • Gun Rights: Rick is a proud gun owner and avid hunter. He believes the second amendment protects and ensures the other amendments.
“The bottom line is: We need Washington to be more like North Dakota, and I intend to make it that way! I support our second amendment rights. I support maintaining a strong national defense, and I am pro-life. I believe in a balanced budget and an end to runaway spending and deficits. I will make a strong national economy and job creation my top priority.”
Rick Berg On The Economy
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