January 2021 Newsletter

Note from the Chairman

The last month has been a challenge. The only thing that pissed me off more than the presidential outcome was the result of the Georgia runoffs and the loss of the Senate. I felt kicked in the gut. I felt like all of the values and ideals that we’ve devoted ourselves to that were summoned by Trump (to Make America Great Again!) have been pushed aside by liberal activists that want to toss out the concerns of average Americans who want freedom, opportunity, and hope, not more Government. I would like to share my thoughts and opinions on what happened and where we go from here, both as a party and a country.

Throughout the year, an unprecedented pandemic hit our country hard. Two general philosophies emerged in response to the Covid-19 crisis; one, pushed relentlessly by liberals and the Democratic Party, was to shut down every business and organization in the country indefinitely and wait to be saved. The other was a conservative belief that we needed to do the hard work of keeping our citizens safe without imposing irrational restrictions on individuals and businesses.

The total-lockdown philosophy was seized upon by Democratic political operatives, who in the spring went to their legislatures and governors to push for extensive mail-in voting. Laws were changed and voting rules were pushed into gray areas, with the intention of making it as easy as possible to vote by mail. These reforms were also pushed by many Republicans with good intentions; however, many in the party, including President Trump, called out these actions as fraudulent and unreasonable, but it was for the most part too late. Laws, regulations, and voting rules had already been changed.

Unfortunately, I believe that the mixed messaging from Republican leadership about voting by mail and fraud hurt us in the elections. Many Republicans were hesitant to vote by mail, and our overall turnout was hurt by this.

On election day, President Trump received 12 million more votes than he did in 2016. Unfortunately, the Democrats were able to secure 15 million more votes for Biden than Clinton received four years ago. There were understandable allegations of election fraud; however, the reality is that voting laws had been changed at the state level, and there was no viable legal action from President Trump and his team. The inconvenient and frustrating truth is that the Democrats did a better job of getting their people to mail in their votes,

We all shared extreme disappointment over this result, and there was speculation following the election that the results of the electoral college could be rejected or reevaluated, keeping President Trump in office. Clearly this excited Republicans across the country. However, when you peel back the rhetoric and look at the actual proposal and logic, this would be a massive infringement of states’ rights. Many Republican leaders such as Rand Paul spoke out against the dangerous precedent this would set. As conservatives, we don’t want the results of the electoral college to be subject to Congressional decisions; the people should choose our president, not our national legislature.

After the Georgia elections, many gathered in DC to show support for the President. However, in a tragic and frustrating moment for our country, a small group of extremists and radicals took violent action and attacked the Capitol. Democrats and the media have ignored the denunciations of the Republican party and conservatives across the country, trying to paint Trump and the GOP as responsible (I could go on for hours about the media’s hypocrisy between the attack on the Capitol and other incidents of violence over the course of 2020). It has been a difficult, stressful, and confusing time for Republicans.

So the question is, where do we go from here?

While it may seem like we’ve suffered a worst-case scenario, we have a clear and crucial course of action ahead of us the next two-to-four years. President Biden and the Democrats have made it clear that they believe they have a mandate to throw away everything that the Trump administration accomplished, and they don’t seem to care whether or not it hurts the interests of Americans. I don’t have to tell you how wrong they are. As a party, we have both a responsibility and an opportunity to hold the Democrats accountable for their liberal agenda.The Democrats have had the privilege of playing offense full-time for the last four years; it is time to put them on the defensive.

For us right now, that means putting pressure on North Dakota Democrats, and their support of a president who just took executive action to suspend the Keystone pipeline and halt energy initiatives across the country. And over the next few years, it is crucial that we work to help Republicans in other states and improve our grassroots voter mobilization, something I’d like to describe in more detail in our next newsletter.

And at the end of the day, it is important to keep in mind that our country and our party have survived far darker times than these. And although there are undoubtedly some frustrating, difficult days ahead, we will persevere, and make sure that our principles of individual liberty and economic opportunity will continue to survive and thrive in America.

Best regards,

Rick

NDGOP News

NDGOP Calls on North Dakota Dem-NPL Leaders to Reject Biden’s Cancellation of the Keystone XL Pipeline

Rick Berg, Chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party (“NDGOP”) made the following statement in response to President Joe Biden’s decision to revoke the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline:

“Just hours after calling for unity – and with the stroke of a pen – Joe Biden killed 11,000 jobs and $1.6 billion in wages by cancelling the Keystone XL Pipeline. This particularly strikes at the heart of North Dakota’s economy as a leader in America’s energy independence…”

See full press release here.

All But 5 Senators Vote to Dismiss Trump’s Impeachment Trial

Senator Cramer and Senator Hoeven both backed former president Donald Trump on Tuesday in an important test vote ahead of his impeachment trial.

See full article here.

Thank you Cole Garman & Parker Oswald

In mid-December The North Dakota Republican Party deployed State Field Director, Cole Garman and volunteer Parker Oswald to Georgia to assist the largest grassroots campaign in state history.

Cole and Parker arrived in Savannah, GA on December 13 th with little idea of the workload. After being briefed and receiving a rapid COVID test they were knocking on doors within the hour. Their days were structured and scheduled: they would knock on the first door by 9am, find a quick lunch at 1pm, continue knocking doors until sundown, then would drive to the hotel and make phone calls until 9pm. After they were done making calls dinner was catered in and they would eat at the hotel with their team which consisted of 15 people from other states.

December, 22 nd they returned to North Dakota to celebrate Christmas and flew back to Savannah on the 26th . On Election Day (January 5th) Cole and Parker were assigned to poll watch at a rural county about 45 minutes from Savannah. Once the count was complete they were rushed back to Savannah to observe the Chatham County count that went late into the night. Even after they paused the count for the evening they took shifts watching the facility all night until they resumed in the morning.

Cole and Parker worked approximately 80 hours/week, knocked on over 3,000 doors each, walked over 200 miles, and spent more than 25 hours on the phone. Although the two Republican candidates (David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler) did not win, both won the election day votes by around 12% and Georgia saw the highest voter turnout for a runoff election in state history.

Please join me in thanking Cole and Parker for their willingness to serve and for their exceptional efforts.

District Chair Spotlight

District 5, David Aas

Bio

A North Dakota boy, born in Fargo. Our family moved to Minot when I was 5, where I grew up. I graduated from Minot High School and attended Minot State University, transferring to the University of North Dakota. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Business with a major in Accounting and passed the CPA exam after graduating.

Work Experience

I worked in accounting firms Eide, Bailly and Brady Martz for a few years and managed the Trust Department at First Western Bank. Always interested in technology, I became a computer geek. I currently am Chief Information Officer for Northland Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center with headquarters in Turtle Lake.

Personal

My spouse is Kathy (Weigel) Aas. A Napoleon native, I met her while working in Bismarck. Kathy works for Xcel Energy and is involved in governmental affairs for Xcel. We have three adult children that all live in Fargo, and Kathy and I are blessed with four beautiful grandchildren. I also have three brothers, one of whom lives in Fargo. My 99-year old father is Lynn Aas, a longtime Republican activist in the Minot area and a former State Legislator.

Hobbies

Spending time with my family, especially my Dad and my grandbabies. We own a lake home on Little Cormorant by Detroit Lakes. When I am not working, I can be found there.

Why I have chosen to serve as a District Chair

I have politics in my blood. My grandfather was a Bill Langer socialist, and my Dad is a former Republican legislator. Dad served four 2-year terms in the North Dakota Legislature in the 1960s and the 1980s. I grew up listening to my Dad and Grandfather arguing politics at Sunday dinners. Their arguments were always interesting, but never confrontational. They would usually end with a laugh and a shake of the head. My Grandparents on my Mom’s side were good solid Republicans.

Being a District Chair is my way of being able to give back to my community and my Party. Not too many years ago our District had Democrats representing us in Bismarck, and that frustrated me. We now have good solid Republican leadership that have stepped up to represent us in Bismarck. I have the pleasure of working with Senator Randy Burckhard (rhymes with “work hard”), Representative Scott Louser, and Representative Jay Fisher. I am proud of these quality people that we have sent to Bismarck, and I want to continue the solid and competent leadership that the Republican Party provides to our great state.

Upcoming Events

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