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Cara Mund has guts. Trying to shake up the worn-out two-party system, Mund gives North Dakota voters a real alternative by running as an independent for Congress. She could have had more money or organization by running as a Democrat, but that’s not who she is. It would be nice to see the political system jolted by someone who is not beholden to either major political party.
What about independent Senate candidate Rick Becker you ask? Well, Becker is really a Republican. The only reason he is running as an independent is because he lost the Republican endorsement.
Some say Mund doesn’t have the political experience. Well, North Dakota Governors Ed Schafer, John Hoeven and Doug Burgum were never elected to anything before they were elected as governors. For that matter, Donald Trump was never elected to anything before he became president.
As a former Miss America and Harvard Law School graduate, Mund could easily have chosen a prestigious high-paying job. Instead, she admirably decided to run as an underdog in her beloved home state.
As for the issues, Mund much better represents what North Dakotans want and need. For some inexplicable reason, Armstrong consistently votes against the best interests of the state and its citizens. Armstrong voted against the infrastructure bill, while Republican Sens. Hoeven and Kevin Cramer voted for it. That bill will bring in hundreds of millions of badly-needed dollars for North Dakota roads, bridges, rail, flood protection, high-speed internet and public transportation. Mund supports the infrastructure bill.
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Armstrong also shamefully voted against expanding health care benefits to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, against access to more baby formula during the severe shortage, against access to birth control, and against limiting the costs of life-saving insulin. Mund would have voted for them.
Armstrong says that states should make the decisions about legalized abortion. Why states should be allowed to tell women what they can do with their bodies is unclear. The state’s rights argument is a phony baloney excuse to take away freedom. It was used to justify slavery, the mistreatment of Blacks in the Jim Crow South, and is now being used to justify voter suppression. Mund’s plan for the federal government to codify abortion makes the most sense.
Armstrong’s record on preserving our democracy is a disaster. He spoke at the dishonest “Stop the Steal” rally in Bismarck, falsely claiming the presidential election “isn’t over.” He voted against the creation of the January 6 committee, and then left the committee after he was selected. Armstrong disgracefully downplays the importance of the committee, and says he’s learned nothing new from the hearings. Really? Armstrong knew that people begged Donald Trump for hours to stop the violent coup attempt, but Trump did nothing? He knew of Trump’s plot to use the Justice Department to overturn the election?
To make matters worse, Armstrong voted against the Presidential Electoral Reform Act, which would prevent another January 6. Mund strongly supports our democracy
Win or lose, Cara Mund is the most refreshing thing to emerge in North Dakota politics in many years.
Shaw is a former WDAY TV reporter and former KVRR TV news director.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.
