Bismarck native Cara Mund, crowned Miss America 2018 at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall Arena, has announced she will challenge Republican and Democratic congressional candidates as an independent in the November election.
To get his name on the ballot, he will need to gather at least 1,000 signatures to submit to Secretary of State Al Jaeger’s Office by September 6.
The 28-year-old graduate of Harvard Law School indicated that she was motivated to become a candidate when the abortion case Roe vs. Wade was overturned by the United States Supreme Court.
Government in the bedroom
“I don’t think the government should be in your bedroom,” he said in the announcement of his candidacy.
Seasoned state politicians, looking at the failures of third-party candidates in North Dakota history, are speculating heavily on his chances. At best, they probably expect him to get 5-10% of the vote.
Because the state legislature has put a trigger law on the books to end abortions in the state after the invalidation of Roe vs. Wade, abortions in North Dakota are expected to be illegal by early fall.
Four strikes against
Out-of-state observers note that Cara will have a fight in North Dakota for several reasons. First, she may not be able to raise enough money to make herself a formidable candidate. Second, others think the state’s conservative leanings won’t treat his candidacy favorably. Third, Cara lacks the public visibility of incumbent representative Kelly Armstrong. Fourth, the abortion issue won’t fly in conservative North Dakota.
Many candidates rely on national fundraising to underwrite their campaigns. In addition to Planned Parenthood, many women’s organizations are preparing to fight and raise millions to counter anti-abortionists. An article about his candidacy in the national People magazine can alert fundraisers across the country.
ND defeats the abortion issue
Conservative North Dakota is not as conservative on this issue as the state legislature. The 2013 session of the legislature proposed a constitutional amendment that intended that every human being at any stage of development has an inalienable right to life. In the 2014 election, voters handed the measure a stunning defeat, with a 30-point margin against the measure.
Because scientific polls are very expensive, it is very rare for voters to be informed about the current strength of anti-abortion law. So all we have is speculation “by golly” more than facts The lingering question is whether or not public opinion has changed since 2014.
A clean independent
Cara has a strong point in her favor. People are sick of partisan politics. It’s a breath of fresh air in the smoke-filled chambers of kings. In the past, almost all independent candidates ran for political reasons but rarely with the intention of winning. Cara has no political background: a clean independent.
In early August, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey that found partisan politics has become more partisan than ever. More Republicans and Democrats see the opposing party as immoral and dishonest.
Neither party is popular with the public, with only 41% having a favorable view of Democrats and 37% of Republicans.
Both parts rigid
Attitudes on both sides have become so rigid that compromises on major issues are unlikely for years to come.
Democracy is stalling.
Younger voters are looking for an escape from politics as usual. They favor more political parties, which is almost impossible in our system of government. They may be attracted to a non-partisan candidate.
From his announcement it is clear that his candidacy will be a referendum on the issue of abortion. Right now, it’s hard to make any predictions. If Miss America Mund can start a prairie fire, the state could be ablaze for change.
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