Before the military service or statewide public service, community service shaped Brian Kalk’s values.
Growing up in Bottineau, with a father employed by North Central Electric Cooperative, Kalk was inspired early to improve the quality of life for his neighbors. Cooperative values run deep in his story.
As students across the state settle in for another school year, North Dakota voters will decide whether to fund the food that fuels them.
If passed in the November general election, a constitutional measure brought forth by a citizen-led coalition – Together for School Meals – would require state funding for daily school meals. Measure 2 would provide one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day to every student enrolled in public schools and public charter schools. Private and tribal schools may also opt-in for the program.
Growing up on a farm near Casselton, Michael Howe never imagined his family’s dinner conversations would inspire an initiative he would later launch as North Dakota’s secretary of state.
“My parents, I would say, are very civically engaged, and I grew up talking about policy at the kitchen table. My parents never ran for office, but we had the 6 o’clock news on during dinner, and you would hear about the events of the day,” he says.
Now, Howe encourages other North Dakotans to understand the benefits of those types of dinner table conversations.
As part of its commitment to informing voters, North Dakota Living introduces readers to candidates seeking statewide office.
For the 2026 general election, North Dakota Living asked candidates in certain statewide races, including the U.S. House of Representatives and North Dakota Public Service Commission, to respond to two questions.
Besides the statewide races highlighted in this issue, voters will see legislative, county and local races on their ballots Nov. 3.
When North Dakotans vote in the Nov. 3 general election, they’ll decide more than who will represent them in office. They'll also vote on two proposed amendments to the North Dakota Constitution.
A constitutional measure proposes a change to the North Dakota Constitution. If approved by voters, the amendment becomes part of the state's governing document.
After spending decades of his life in public service, former Gov. Ed Schafer believes the future of American democracy depends less on what happens in Washington, D.C., and more on what happens between neighbors.
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Schafer believes restoring civility can strengthen democracy. He says it begins around the kitchen table, in churches, community organizations and small towns, where people learn not only to understand differing opinions, but welcome them.
As America marks its 250th anniversary, North Dakota will celebrate a milestone of its own with the grand opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library July 4 in Medora.
Built within the buttes of the Badlands, the library showcases Theodore Roosevelt's character and vision, and tells the story of the nation’s 26th president who influenced conservation, preservation of public lands and true American leadership.
Bismarck State College (BSC) delivers career-focused education “Done Right.”
Anyone who grew up watching “Tom and Jerry” understands the basics of a cat-and-mouse game. The cat devises a new scheme. The mouse finds a way around it. Then the chase begins again.
