John Hoeven

Flashback: Republican Senate Candidate Hoeven Rejected GOP And Declared Himself A Democrat In 1996

Eric Kleefeld | January 27, 2010, 10:17AM

Gov. John Hoeven (R-ND)

Gov. John Hoeven (R-ND), the GOP frontrunner to win the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan, has an interesting wrinkle in his political history: When he first got into politics 14 years ago, he proclaimed himself to be a Democrat -- and strongly denied any implication that he was a Republican.

The North Decoder blog dug up a letter that Hoeven wrote to a local newspaper in 1996. At the time, Hoeven was president of North Dakota's state-run bank, and was eyeing a possible run for governor, which he ultimately did as a Republican in 2000. "I have always been moderate in my political views, but now that I am considering elective office, I realize I must join a political party and stick to it," Hoeven wrote in 1996. "I have decided to join the Democratic-NPL Party because I believe that is the best fit for my views."

Also in his 1996 letter, Hoeven strongly rejected the suggestion that he could be a Republican: "What people don't want is partisan politics as usual. The effort by overly partisan members of the Republican Party to cast me as one of their own is just that, partisan politics as usual." So we asked Hoeven's campaign manager, why did he end up becoming a Republican instead?

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ND-SEN

Poll: GOPer Hoeven Has Big Leads Over Ed Schultz, Heidi Heitkamp In ND-SEN

Eric Kleefeld | January 14, 2010, 5:05PM

MSNBC host Ed Schultz and Gov. John Hoeven (R-ND)

The new Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll of North Dakota finds Republican Gov. John Hoeven way ahead of both possible Democratic candidates in the race to pick up the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan.

Hoeven leads liberal talk show host Ed Schultz by 56%-32%, and he leads former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp (whom Hoeven previously defeated in the 2000 gubernatorial race) by 55%-34%.

As Kos notes, this is not because of a weakness of these individual candidates, but is because of the weakness of the Democratic Party itself in this red state: "Yet compared to last week's poll with Dorgan, Dems have only lost a few points against Hoeven, suggesting that it's general distaste for the Democrats that's driving down their numbers. Indeed, we asked favorability numbers for the two parties, and the Democratic Party is viewed favorably by just 25 percent of North Dakotans, and just 17 percent of Independents, versus 61 percent disapproval. Republicans, at 39-53, are not exactly popular, but in the battle of lesser evils, certainly in much better shape."

John Hoeven

GOP's Hoeven To Launch North Dakota Senate Campaign Today

Eric Kleefeld | January 11, 2010, 9:06AM

Gov. John Hoeven (R-ND)

Gov. John Hoeven (R-ND) will officially kick off his campaign for Senate today, Politico reports, as the Republican frontrunner for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan.

Hoeven led Dorgan himself in the polls that had been done before Dorgan announced his retirement, though Hoeven was not actually in the race yet. With Hoeven's entry into the race, he is now the undeniable frontrunner, and the seat is at least a leaning pickup for the Republicans.

Democratic Rep. Earl Pomeroy, who is already elected statewide to North Dakota's only House seat, decided last week that he would not run. Other possible Democratic candidates are liberal talk show host Ed Schultz, who has been courted by the state Democrats, and former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp, who lost the 2000 gubernatorial race to Hoeven.

Earl Pomeroy

Democrat Earl Pomeroy Won't Run For North Dakota Senate Seat

Eric Kleefeld | January 6, 2010, 1:58PM

Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND).

Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) will not run for the open Senate seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan, RealClearPolitics reports -- a serious blow to Dems in their efforts to keep this seat.

A Democratic source has also confirmed the news to TPMDC.

Third-term Republican Gov. John Hoeven is set to run for the seat, and starts out the race as a heavy favorite. In addition to Pomeroy, who would have been the strongest possible Democratic candidate, the party has also been courting liberal talk show host Ed Schultz, who launched his broadcasting career in North Dakota.

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John Hoeven

North Dakota GOP Governor Expected To Run For Dorgan's Seat

Eric Kleefeld | January 6, 2010, 11:01AM

Gov. John Hoeven (R-ND)

With Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) retiring, Republicans already have a top-tier candidate lined up to enter the race soon: Gov. John Hoeven, who was elected to a third term in 2008 with 74% of the vote.

State GOP chairman Gary Emineth told Politico: "I expect Gov. Hoeven to get in, and he's going to work through personal issues relating to his family, but I would be shocked if he's not in the Senate race soon."

North Dakota GOP political director Adam Jones explained to me that the family issues referred to here were simply a matter of Hoeven talking to his family about the prospect of a Senate run and a move to Washington. "First and foremost, the governor is a father and husband before he's a public servant," said Jones. "First he has to decide what's good for his family."

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Ed Schultz

Ed Schultz: North Dakota Dems Have Asked Me To Run For Senate (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | January 6, 2010, 10:28AM

MSNBC anchor Ed Schultz.

On MSNBC just now, liberal talk show host Ed Schultz said he was asked by top Democrats in his previous home state of North Dakota to run for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan -- including outreach from Dorgan himself.

"Well last night, when Sen. Dorgan was talking to me, he asked me how old I was, and I went 'uh oh,'" said Schultz.

"I did get a phone call this morning from Merle Boucher, who's the [state] House Democratic leader, and he asked me to consider to run for the United States Senate seat in the state of North Dakota," said Schultz. "I asked him very point blank, 'Is this an official ask?' He said 'Yes, it is.'"

For now at least, Schultz isn't jumping at the opportunity, pointing to all the work he's put into his media career.

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Byron Dorgan

Poll: Dem Sen. Byron Dorgan Vulnerable -- If GOP Gets Gov. John Hoeven To Run

Eric Kleefeld | December 21, 2009, 9:15AM

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)

A new Rasmussen poll finds that Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) could be seriously vulnerable in 2010 -- but only if the GOP manages to get just the right candidate to oppose him, third-term Republican Gov. John Hoeven.

When Dorgan is tested against Duane Sand, a Navy veteran who has previously run unsuccessfully for the Senate and the House, Dorgan leads by 52%-37%. But if Hoeven were the GOP candidate, Dorgan would trail by a 58%-36% margin.

Hoeven has previously declined a Senate run. The GOP tried to recruit him to run against Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad in the 2006 cycle, but he didn't make the race. Earlier this year, he said he would decide on a Senate run by September -- which has obviously passed already. But if he were to get in, he would start as the frontrunner.

From the pollster's analysis: "Along with Hoeven's popularity in the state, Dorgan has to contend with President Obama's unpopularity. John McCain carried North Dakota over Obama 53% to 45%, and now just 41% approve of how the president is doing his job. Fifty-eight percent (58%) disapprove."