Wikipedia

Kelly Armstrong

Not to be confused with the Canadian writerKelley Armstrong.

Kelly Michael Armstrong(born October 8, 1976)[1][2]is an American lawyer and politician serving as theU.S. representativeforNorth Dakota's at-large congressional districtsince 2019. A member of theRepublican Party,he served as theNorth Dakota state senatorfrom the 36th district from 2012 to 2018 and chair of theNorth Dakota Republican Partyfrom 2015 until 2018. On January 23, 2024, he announced he would not seek re-election to the House, and would instead run in the2024 North Dakota gubernatorial election.[3]Armstrong won the Republican primary on June 11, 2024, and defeated Democratic nomineeMerrill Piepkornin the general election.[4]

Kelly Armstrong
Official portrait, 2018
Governor-elect of North Dakota
Assuming office
December 15, 2024
LieutenantMichelle Strinden(elect)
SucceedingDoug Burgum
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromNorth Dakota'sat-largedistrict
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2019
Preceded byKevin Cramer
Chair of theNorth Dakota Republican Party
In office
June 6, 2015 – February 20, 2018
Preceded byRobert Harms
Succeeded byRick Berg
Member of theNorth Dakota Senate
from the 36th district
In office
December 1, 2012 – November 8, 2018
Preceded byGeorge Nodland
Succeeded byJay Elkin
Personal details
Born
Kelly Michael Armstrong

(1976-10-08)October 8, 1976(age 48)
Dickinson, North Dakota,U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Kjersti Høiby
​
(m.2004)​
Children2
EducationUniversity of North Dakota(BA,JD)
WebsiteHouse website
Kelly Armstrong's voice
Kelly Armstrong speaks in opposition toSupreme Courtexpansion
Recorded July 13, 2022

Early life and education

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Armstrong graduated fromDickinson High Schoolin 1995. He earned aBachelor of Artsinpsychologyfrom theUniversity of North Dakotain 2001 and aJuris Doctorfrom theUniversity of North Dakota School of Lawin 2003, after spending his first year of law school at theCollege of William & Mary.[5]He is a member of theSigma Chifraternity.

Career

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Armstrong was apartnerat Reichert Armstrong, with offices inGrand ForksandDickinson,before his Congressional election. He served as theNorth Dakota State Senatorfrom the 36th district from 2013 to 2018[6]and chaired theNorth Dakota Republican Partyfrom 2015 to 2018.[7]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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2018

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Main article:2018 United States House of Representatives election in North Dakota

In February 2018, Armstrong announced his candidacy for theUnited States House of Representatives.[8]He was endorsed by the North Dakota Republican Party at its state party convention in April 2018.[9]Armstrong won the November 6 election with 60.2% of the vote.[10]He resigned his seat in the North Dakota Legislature on November 7 and took office in Congress in January 2019, replacingKevin Cramer,who was elected to theUnited States Senate.

2020

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Main article:2020 United States House of Representatives election in North Dakota

Armstrong ran for reelection and won on November 3, with 68.96% of the vote.[11]

2022

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Main article:2022 United States House of Representatives election in North Dakota

Armstrong won reelection on November 8, receiving 62.2% of the vote.[12]

Tenure

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Armstrong was one of a coalition of seven Republicans who did not support their colleagues' efforts tochallenge the resultsof the2020 presidential electionon January 6, 2021. These seven signed a letter that, while giving credence to election fraud allegations made by PresidentDonald Trump,said Congress did not have the authority to influence the election's outcome.[13]

On July 19, 2022, Armstrong and 46 other Republican representatives voted for theRespect for Marriage Act,which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.[14]Armstrong was nearly censured in a 26–28 vote during a state party meeting for his vote.[15]

In September 2022, Armstrong was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, anantitrustpackage that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.[16][17]

On June 14, 2023, Armstrong voted to table the first censure bill againstAdam Schiff,finding the $16 million fine in the first censure to be an excess of congressional power. Former PresidentDonald Trumpcalled for all twenty Republicans who voted against to be "primaried". He would support the second attempt a week later when the text was removed.[18]

Armstrong voted to provide Israel with support following2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[19][20]

During November 2023, Armstrong voted against the censuring of Democratic representativeRashida Tlaibon the grounds ofantisemitismafter her comments againstIsrael.[21]Later in the month, Armstrong was picked to fill the empty seat in theHouse judiciary committeeleft when memberMike Johnsonwas electedSpeaker of the House,which was followed by his re-election announcement.[22][23]

In December 2023, Armstrong joined 105 House Republicans in voting to expelGeorge Santosafter aHouse ethics committeereport conclusion that he had broken federal law.[24]

Committee assignments

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Caucus memberships

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  • Republican Governance Group[25]
  • Friends of Norway Caucus (co-chair)
  • Fire Services Caucus
  • Bipartisan Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Task Force
  • Air Force Caucus
  • Coal Caucus
  • Rural Broadband Caucus
  • Northern Border Caucus
  • Northern Border Security Caucus
  • National Guard and Reserve Caucus
  • Caucus on Youth Sports
  • Sportsmen's Caucus
  • Republican Study Committee[26]

Governor of North Dakota

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2024 gubernatorial election

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On January 23, 2024, Armstrong announced he would not run for re-election, instead opting to run forGovernor of North Dakotaafter incumbentDoug Burgumannounced he would not run for a third term.[27][28]

He declared the points he would focus on as lowertaxes,cutting regulations, and bolstering the states workforce.[29]Armstrong would win theNorth Dakota Republican Partyendorsement and chosestate rep.Michelle Strindento be his Lt. Governor.[30]

Armstrong challengedLt. GovernorTammy Millerin the primary for theRepublican Party's nomination for Governor.[31]He would defeat Miller in the primary by a margin of 73.2% to 26.8%.[32]

Armstrong and Miller held an aggressive primary battle, with Armstrong being the first to release attack ads.[33]Armstrong would later receive criticism for releasing an ad calling Miller “Tall-Tale Tammy” in which he usedArtificial Intelligence-generated sources.[34]Armstrong had received endorsements fromSecretary of StateMichael HoweandU.S. SenatorJohn Hoeven.[35]Miller, however, received Governor Burgum’s support, stating North Dakota did not need a lawyer in the office.[36]

Armstrong would go on to faceDemocratic-NPLcandidateMerrill Piepkornand independent Michael Coachman in thegeneral election.[37]Armstrong would win the election with 68.3% of the vote. Piepkorn would receive 26% and Coachman 5.6%.[38]

Electoral history

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Republican primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kelly Armstrong 37,054 56.23
Republican Tom Campbell(withdrawn) 17,692 26.85
Republican Tiffany Abentroth 5,877 8.92
Republican Paul Schaffner 5,203 7.90
Republican Write-Ins 75 0.11
Total votes 65,901 100.00
2018North Dakota's at-large congressional districtelection[39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kelly Armstrong 193,568 60.20% −8.93%
Democratic–NPL Mac Schneider 114,377 35.57% +11.82%
Independent Charles Tuttle 13,066 4.06% N/A
Write-in 521 0.16% N/A
Total votes 321,532 100.00%
Republicanhold
2020North Dakota's at-large congressional districtelection[40]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kelly Armstrong (incumbent) 245,229 68.96% +8.76%
Democratic–NPL Zach Raknerud 97,970 27.55% −8.02%
Libertarian Steven Peterson 12,024 3.38% N/A
Write-in 375 0.11% -0.05%
Total votes 355,598 100.00%
Republicanhold
2022North Dakota's at-large congressional districtelection[41]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kelly Armstrong (incumbent) 148,399 62.20% –6.76
Independent Cara Mund 89,644 37.57% N/A
Write-in 543 0.23% +0.12
Total votes 238,586 100.00%
Republicanhold
2024 North Dakota Republican gubernatorial primary election[42]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kelly Armstrong
Michelle Strinden 		67,704 73.2%
Republican Tammy Miller
Josh Teigen 		24,784 26.8%
Total votes 92,488 100.00
2024 North Dakota gubernatorial election[43]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kelly Armstrong
Michelle Strinden 		247,056 68.26% +2.42%
Democratic–NPL Merrill Piepkorn
Patrick Hart 		94,043 25.98% +0.60%
Independent Michael Coachman
Lydia Gessele 		20,322 5.61% N/A
Write-in 530 0.15% -4.75%
Total votes 361,951 100.00% N/A
Republicanhold

References

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  1. ^"Kelly Armstrong's Biography".Project Vote Smart.RetrievedMarch 7,2018.
  2. ^"North Dakota New Members 2019".The Hill.November 15, 2018.
  3. ^Nazzaro, Miranda (January 23, 2024)."North Dakota lawmaker running for governor".The Hill.RetrievedJanuary 23,2024.
  4. ^"North Dakota Governor Primary Election Results".The New York Times.June 11, 2024.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedOctober 27,2024.
  5. ^Grandstrand, Katherine (December 20, 2012)."District 36 representation: All Kelly Armstrong wanted was to get away, but Dickinson is home".The Dickinson Press.Archived fromthe originalon June 22, 2018.RetrievedMarch 7,2018.
  6. ^"Senator Kelly M. Armstrong".Bismarck, North Dakota:North Dakota Legislature.RetrievedMarch 7,2018.
  7. ^"Sen. Kelly Armstrong of Dickinson elected chair of ND Republican Party".Grand Forks Herald.Forum News Service. June 6, 2015. Archived fromthe originalon June 22, 2018.RetrievedMarch 7,2018.
  8. ^Dura, Jack (February 22, 2018)."Armstrong joins packed House race".The Clarion-Ledger.
  9. ^Inc., Midwest Communications."Armstrong wins GOP House endorsement".The Mighty 790 KFGO.Archived fromthe originalon November 8, 2018.RetrievedApril 10,2018.{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help)
  10. ^Wasserman, David; Flinn, Ally (November 7, 2018)."2018 House Popular Vote Tracker".Cook Political Report.RetrievedFebruary 15,2019.
  11. ^"OFFICIAL (WITHOUT RECOUNTS) 2020 GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS: Representative in Congress".North Dakota Election Officials.RetrievedNovember 17,2020.
  12. ^"Unofficial 2022 General Election Results".North Dakota Secretary of State.November 8, 2022.RetrievedNovember 13,2022.
  13. ^Budryk, Zack (January 3, 2021)."Coalition of 7 conservative House Republicans says they won't challenge election results".The Hill.RetrievedJanuary 3,2021.
  14. ^Schnell, Mychael (July 19, 2022)."These are the 47 House Republicans who voted for a bill protecting marriage equality".The Hill.RetrievedJuly 25,2022.
  15. ^"Port: NDGOP rids itself of code of conduct, nearly censures Rep. Kelly Armstrong".InForum.October 16, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 1,2024.
  16. ^"House passes antitrust bill that hikes M&A fees as larger efforts targeting tech have stalled".CNBC.September 29, 2022.
  17. ^"H.R. 3843: Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022 -- House Vote #460 -- Sep 29, 2022".
  18. ^Baumgarten, April (June 20, 2023)."Trump calls for North Dakota's Kelly Armstrong to 'immediately be primaried'".Inforum.RetrievedJanuary 25,2024.
  19. ^Demir gian, Karoun (October 25, 2023)."House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedOctober 30,2023.
  20. ^Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023)."Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session".Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.RetrievedOctober 30,2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ^Gick, Justin (November 5, 2023)."Rep. Kelly Armstrong one of 23 Republicans voting not to censure Rep. Tlaib on Israel comments".kfyrtv.
  22. ^Janke, Ryan."Armstrong to fill seat vacated by new U.S. Speaker of the House, announces re-election".
  23. ^"Rep. Kelly Armstrong Recommended To Take Speaker Johnson's Judiciary Seat".November 14, 2023.
  24. ^Sweeney, Pat."Armstrong votes for, Fischbach votes against ousting Santos".
  25. ^"Homepage of Republican Governance Group".Republican Governance Group.December 14, 2019.
  26. ^"Membership".Republican Study Committee.December 6, 2017.RetrievedMarch 28,2021.
  27. ^"Kelly Armstrong will run for North Dakota governor, giving up state's sole House seat".POLITICO.January 23, 2024.RetrievedFebruary 1,2024.
  28. ^"Kelly Armstrong, North Dakota's lone congressman, runs for governor".San Diego Union-Tribune.January 23, 2024.RetrievedFebruary 1,2024.
  29. ^"Kelly Armstrong highlights campaign themes at Fargo kickoff event".InForum.January 26, 2024.RetrievedFebruary 1,2024.
  30. ^"Endorsed for governor by North Dakota GOP, Kelly Armstrong taps Fargo's Michelle Strinden as running mate".InForum.April 6, 2024.RetrievedNovember 14,2024.
  31. ^"Port: Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller announces campaign for governor".InForum.February 15, 2024.RetrievedApril 4,2024.
  32. ^"2024 North Dakota Election Results".Associated Press News.
  33. ^"Port: Here's a preview of the mud that's about to be slung in North Dakota's gubernatorial primary".InForum.March 18, 2024.RetrievedApril 4,2024.
  34. ^"Port: Armstrong rips 'Tall Tale' Tammy Miller; her campaign says that's 'a whole lot of B.S.'".InForum.March 20, 2024.RetrievedApril 4,2024.
  35. ^Gick, Justin (April 2, 2024)."Hoeven endorses Armstrong for governor".RetrievedApril 4,2024.
  36. ^"Burgum suggests Armstrong isn't the right choice for governor; Armstrong responds".March 11, 2024.RetrievedApril 4,2024.
  37. ^Haney, Don."Piepkorn makes campaign for governor official".The Mighty 790 KFGO | KFGO.RetrievedApril 4,2024.
  38. ^"North Dakota Governor Election 2024 Live Results: Kelly Armstrong Wins".nbcnews.November 14, 2024.RetrievedNovember 14,2024.
  39. ^Johnson, Cheryl L. (February 28, 2019)."Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018".Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.RetrievedApril 27,2019.
  40. ^"Statewide Election Results".North Dakota Secretary of State.November 12, 2020.
  41. ^"Official 2022 General Election Results".North Dakota Secretary of State.November 8, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 26,2024.
  42. ^"2024 Republican Governor primary election Results".Associated Press News.RetrievedJuly 2,2024.
  43. ^https://results.sos.nd.gov/ResultsSW.aspx?text=All&type=SW&map=CTY
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North Dakota Senate
Preceded by Member of theNorth Dakota Senate
from the 36th district
2012–2018 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by
Robert Harms
 Chair of theNorth Dakota Republican Party
2015–2018 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Republicannominee forU.S. House of Representatives
fromNorth Dakota's at-large congressional district
2018,2020,2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Republicannominee forGovernor of North Dakota
2024 		Most recent
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Kevin Cramer
 Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromNorth Dakota's at-large congressional district
2019–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence(ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
226th 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kelly_Armstrong&oldid=1260513935"