Republican North Dakota State Legislative Candidate Who Died From COVID Wins Election

Republican David Andahl won a seat in the state legislature in North Dakota, a month after he died of complications from COVID-19. According to Bismarck Tribune, Andahl was a cattle rancher and land developer and spent 16 years serving on the zoning and planning commission in Burleigh County – eight of those years he served as a chairperson. Andahl won 35 percent of the vote.

During his campaign, he was endorsed by Governor Doug Burgum and Senator Kevin Cramer.

According to the Star Tribune, Cramer explained his endorsement of Andahl by saying that “we need more Trump Republicans in the State Legislature.”

“He has been a public servant for many years and was looking forward to the opportunity to serve in the state legislature,” his family said on his Facebook page.

The state’s attorney general issued an opinion about how to proceed following the death of Andahl, making the Republican Party responsible for covering the vacant seat until a special election is conducted.