BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota’s Republican Party is supporting the re-election bid of State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler, who pleaded guilty to drunken driving in March but still dominated the June primary.
The Bismarck Tribune reports more than two-thirds of the party’s 58-member State Committee voted in a secret ballot on Saturday at its meeting in Medora to award Baesler its letter of support over Underwood School District Superintendent Brandt Dick.
Baesler is seeking a third term in office. She pleaded guilty in March to misdemeanor DUI under a plea agreement that included a 10-day suspended jail sentence.
The superintendent’s job is nonpartisan, which means candidates run against each other without party labels. The top two finishers will advance to the general election.
Baesler advanced to this year’s general election by getting 54% of the vote in the June primary. Dick received about 26% of the vote. Charles Tuttle, who got 20%, did not advance.
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