Burgum's favored candidates hold up in GOP primary count

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Fargo businessman Thomas Beadle will be moving on to the November general election after winning a spirited Republican primary race for state treasurer, according to results reported Monday on the North Dakota secretary of state's website.

The count by the state and county canvassing boards shows Beadle with 52% of the vote to 47% for Kathryn farmer Dan Johnston. The race garnered extra attention after Gov. Doug Burgum gave $25,000 to Beadle’s campaign and Johnston received the support of President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer.

Beadle will face Democrat Mark Haugen, who ran unopposed in the primary.

In another race that drew added interest, Burgum’s favored candidates, David Andahl and Dave Nehring, prevailed over House Appropriations Chairman Jeff Delzer. Burgum, a former software executive, gave $1.85 million to a political action campaign that targeted Delzer over his spending and policies.

Delzer gained 22% of the vote, compared to 30% for Nehring and 29% for Andahl.

The primary was conducted entirely by mail-in ballot due to the coronavirus. North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger told the Bismarck Tribune it would have been a record turnout if the more than 190,000 people who requested ballots and returned them. About 36,000 ballots were not returned.