Congressman Kelly Armstrong announces bid for North Dakota Governor

(Fargo, ND) — “I miss the people in North Dakota.”

That’s the sentiment shared from North Dakota Congressman Kelly Armstrong in announcing Tuesday that he will run for Governor of North Dakota.

In an exclusive interview with The Flag’s Scott Hennen, Armstrong described his discernment process in making the decision as one that involved a lot of discussion with his family. With two children still at home, Armstrong will look to return to the state he served in as a legislator and attorney — after serving as Congressman in Washington, DC.

“It started with coffee with my wife,” Armstrong said of the decision-making process. He said his family has been very supportive of his time as a Congressman, and are supportive of his decision to run for Governor.

Armstrong said he was supportive of Governor Doug Burgu running for a third term.

“I think he’s done a great job as Governor,” he said. “He chose not to do that, and we sat down and talked about it yesterday. We decided that we’ve been fighting D.C., we’ve been fighting for the federal government, we’ve been fighting the two-tier justice system, defending Donald Trump under two impeachments. And we’ve been in the middle of every fight for the last five years in D.C. We just kind of decided it’s time to bring that fight home.”

Armstrong says, if elected, he’s excited to “work with people who are interested in solutions, and not necessarily soe mediocre internet thing.”

One of the top issues Armstrong said needs to be continued is fighting back on the federal government.

“We have do to it smart, we have to do it effective, and we have to do it aggressively,” he said. “But we also have to make sure that we don’t become too bureaucratic, and that we continue to be the best place to start a business.”