North Dakota State Representative District 47 Choose 2
The North Dakota State House consists of 94 representatives, who meet in regular legislative sessions to make our state laws and set our state budget. Learn more at ndlegis.gov.
Biographical Information
Campaign Email
jacobs.fode@gmail.com
Facebook
http://facebook.com/JacobsFode4ND
Instagram
http://instagram.com/jacobsfode4nd
Campaign Phone Number
701-527-1059
What are your top priorities?
Improving education and expanding post-secondary availability and cost is at the top of my priorities. In order to encourage young people to pursue high-need careers and to remain in state, I would like to expand the ND Scholarship and provide people in those fields with student loan debt a 1% interest rate by buying the debt through the bank of North Dakota. This would have a significant return on investment for the state.
How would you ensure that North Dakotans’ healthcare costs are affordable?
I support expanding state run health insurance and further regulation to limit increases to healthcare and prescription costs.
How would you address the housing needs of the state?
We need to encourage building affordable housing through tax incentives. We also need to limit out of state corporate entities who are purchasing property and increasing costs.
What is your position on allowing public funds to be directed to non-public education?
No public funds should be diverted into voucher systems. Public schools are the heart of our communities and deserve to be fully funded.
What are your views on the current voting methods and access to voting in North Dakota?
North Dakota has the most secure voting in the nation. We need to protect voting rights and fight against any policies which would disenfranchise voters.
What is the role of the federal government regarding states’ rights, and are there currently any areas where you believe there is an imbalance?
We are currently experiencing the impact of cuts at the federal level which are negatively impacting programs in the state including healthcare, job growth, education, welfare, research, agriculture, and the environment. Those are funds that need to be returned to the state.
Biographical Information
Endorsements
North Dakota District 47 Republican Party
Website
http://www.leerend.com
Campaign Phone Number
701-400-4445
What are your top priorities?
My top priority is to keep North Dakota a land of opportunity where people can build a future and raise a family. That means maintaining a strong, business-friendly climate that encourages innovation, supports job creation, and allows businesses to thrive. We must align education and workforce training with industry needs. At the same time, we need to manage growth responsibly by investing in infrastructure, supporting public safety, and ensuring communities remain strong.
How would you ensure that North Dakotans’ healthcare costs are affordable?
I support price transparency, fair competition, smart deregulation, and expanded telehealth, while recognizing each comes with tradeoffs. The key is implementing them in a way that helps providers control costs without sacrificing access, especially for rural communities.
How would you address the housing needs of the state?
As our communities grow, housing costs, including the cost of ownership, have become a real concern for many families. This includes not only home prices but also property taxes and other ongoing expenses. We need to pursue practical solutions that increase housing supply, reduce cost burdens, and make it easier for people to own and maintain a home. Affordable housing is directly tied to workforce stability, community growth, and overall economic health.
What is your position on allowing public funds to be directed to non-public education?
I’m opposed. As a society, we’ve committed to providing a free K-12 education for every child. It’s a rising tide that lifts all boats and a key reason our country continues to flourish. That commitment is funded by public dollars, and those public dollars must remain dedicated to public education.
What are your views on the current voting methods and access to voting in North Dakota?
I believe North Dakota conducts honest and fair elections without voter registration. Requiring voters to present valid identification when casting a ballot is essential to maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of our system. Our absentee ballot process also strikes the right balance, expanding access while preserving election integrity.
What is the role of the federal government regarding states’ rights, and are there currently any areas where you believe there is an imbalance?
The federal government’s role is to provide a consistent national framework while respecting the authority of states to govern issues closest to their people. We have unique needs, especially in energy and agriculture. A one-size-fits-all federal mandate can limit our ability to implement practical, local solutions. While many of these decisions are made in Washington, we still have a responsibility to advocate for flexibility and implement policies that best serve our communities.
Biographical Information
Campaign Email
Colejohnmontoya@gmail.com
Facebook
http://facebook.com/MontoyaForND
Campaign Phone Number
7015270097
What are your top priorities?
I want to focus on affordable housing and cost of living. I’m extremely worried about the future of low and middle class Americans with the state of our current economy. I’d also like to focus on better education and conditions for students. For our state to grow must incentivize our students to want to be part of it. Along with education, I feel youth mental health and development would also benefit our children, allowing the less privileged an education to have a shot at a better education.
How would you ensure that North Dakotans’ healthcare costs are affordable?
A push to regulate fair and affordable medication costs placed on massive health firms and companies. In an ideal world, there would be a state ran insurance for citizens to buy into, rather than an insurance company. As well, there must be oversight on companies operating in ND that have shadow-adopted the “ Delay, Deny, Defend” on their customers. There is no reason a man paying a company for half his life should be denied the care he needs to live.
How would you address the housing needs of the state?
Housing ultimately comes down to availability. The cost to build a starter home has become far too expensive for any company to rationally justify. That being said, there are a large number of unoccupied houses and apartments across the state. Many being owned by individuals with several properties. Putting a higher tax on those with 2 or more properties (per-property) would both incentivize the selling of a property as well as gather state taxes from sources able to afford them.
What is your position on allowing public funds to be directed to non-public education?
No public money should ever be placed in private hands. We either use it to strengthen our public schools or those private parties fund their own systems. Teachers are already being ripped off by the state and federal government. Why would we let private schools steal money away from as system that would benefit far more.
What are your views on the current voting methods and access to voting in North Dakota?
Both mail in and poll ballots are an excellent way for voters to be involved. North Dakota has claimed itself to be one of the safest in the country when it comes to fraud. Mali my sure our elections stay out of the hands of the federal government should be a top priority for all Americans. States handle elections for a reason.
What is the role of the federal government regarding states’ rights, and are there currently any areas where you believe there is an imbalance?
Federal oversight has a place in the country. It should be used to make sure states are running as intended, as well as trying to better the union as a whole. Many drug related laws over schedule 1 drugs, as well as federal operations within a state must be funded and continued for a strong nation. However, putting voting power and AI surveillance in the hands of a federal government will only lead us on the path of dictatorship. Their is no reason the government needs to know my every move.
Biographical Information
Endorsements
ND Chamber Champion, ND Right to Life "Life Protector"
Website
http://mikemfornd.com
Campaign Email
mikemfornd@midco.net
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/mikemfornd/
Campaign Phone Number
701-471-9014
What are your top priorities?
Continue to address property taxes. Continue my mission to make college more affordable for ND students. Work with attorney general's office to ensure public safety and make sure dangerous criminals are not walking our streets. Reducing regulations for businesses so they can thrive in ND.
How would you ensure that North Dakotans’ healthcare costs are affordable?
I really believe we need to do a deep dive on insurance mandates. Each mandate increases costs of premiums. We also need to look at costs of services and possibly reform reimbursement rates as insurance rates continue to skyrocket.
How would you address the housing needs of the state?
Cut red tape for contractors to build homes. Instead of having the government build homes, let's get out of the way as much as possible and let the professionals do it. I do not support benefits meant for specific contractors. I believe they should all be on the same playing field.
What is your position on allowing public funds to be directed to non-public education?
We need to be cognitive of the fact that public school isn't a good fit for all students and we need to provide the best educational opportunities for all students. I'd rather fund students directly and let them choose where to spend their education dollars than directly diverting funds to private schools, but I'm open to listening to all options on the table and would support whatever I think is best for each student.
What are your views on the current voting methods and access to voting in North Dakota?
I believe our system now is good, transparent, and safe. I do support ID's being required to vote to ensure that only ND citizens are voting in our elections.
What is the role of the federal government regarding states’ rights, and are there currently any areas where you believe there is an imbalance?
I believe in a small federal government and that states should be able to determine what best works for their citizens. There are many areas of imbalance and I believe the federal government needs to continue to move more rights to the states.
Biographical Information
Endorsements
I regard the signatures of my fellow residents of District 47 for getting me on the ballot to be better than any endorsement.
Website
http://www.votevarvel.org
Campaign Email
votevarvel@gmail.com
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/VoteVarvel
Campaign YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/@VoteVarvel
Campaign Phone Number
701-319-8747
What are your top priorities?
Rewrite the laws governing corporations to prohibit them from providing funding for political campaigns, and prohibiting political action committees from doing the same.
Explore the prudent establishment of state industries on the model of the state mill and elevator.
Expand North Dakota's focus on public health.
How would you ensure that North Dakotans’ healthcare costs are affordable?
The State of North Dakota should provide a state option for health insurance. This state option should keep the private sector in line.
How would you address the housing needs of the state?
Prohibit corporations from buying up single family homes and mobile home communities.
Promote an interim legislative study on alternative housing policies, such as those of Singapore and Vienna.
What is your position on allowing public funds to be directed to non-public education?
Deeply skeptical. On an intrinsic level, state funds should not go to schools under sectarian control. Although there may be extraordinary reasons for why public funds should be directed to non-public education, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Although I can see the point for public funds going to a school that teaches students in a traditional language of this region, a higher level of scrutiny would naturally be expected for this.
What are your views on the current voting methods and access to voting in North Dakota?
I think the current voting methods, strictly in terms of technology, are sound. I do think the polling places throughout the districts should be far more distributed – and local – than they currently are.
I don't like how the only two polling places in District 47 are across the street from one another. Nothing wrong with those polling places per se, but there ought to be at least four different locations to vote in District 47 and probably even more locations than that.
What is the role of the federal government regarding states’ rights, and are there currently any areas where you believe there is an imbalance?
“States' rights” is controversial because “states' rights” has been used as a pretext to deprive individuals, often entire categories of individuals, of their rights. The federal government has been induced to intervene, often quite reluctantly, to defend individual rights against local tyranny.
Still, I am alarmed by recent federal attempts to assert arbitrary control over state elections, which are clearly under state authority. We have a federal system of government for very good reasons.