A conversation with Kelly Armstrong

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) -Ten years as a defense attorney, six years in the State Legislature, and four years as a federal lawmaker: Kelly Armstrong’s resume is impressive, and that’s why he believes he’s the best choice for North Dakota.

Kelly Armstrong has high praise for the North Dakota State Legislature.

“This is the most open, transparent legislative body I’ve ever heard of, and that, in and of itself, makes it the best one I’ve ever been a part of,” said Kelly Armstrong.

He says the work he did in the Legislature prepared him for his work in Congress.

“We wrote policy here; we dealt with it. If you introduce a bill, you don’t have 19 different people that do that,” said Armstrong.

Now, as he seeks his third term as North Dakota’s sole representative, his priorities lie in addressing the issues he says his constituents care the most about, and for him, issue #1 is inflation.

“We have to get a handle on it. We cannot continue to just print money that we aren’t paying for and spray it on the economy with a firehose,” said Armstrong.

He says as a lawmaker, he’s shown he’s got what it takes to represent North Dakota.

“It’s really important that we have someone who has credibility on both sides of the aisle but actually is willing to dig in and take on complicated subjects that aren’t always politically popular,” said Armstrong.

And when it comes to questioning witnesses, he says he’s earned his stripes too.

“I think one of the things I’ve proven is I sit through the committee, I pay attention, I ask smart questions, and I’m not afraid to go toe-to-toe with anybody,” said Armstrong.

And to him, Independent challenger Cara Mund doesn’t have those qualities.

“Her policies and the positions that she’s taken are bad for North Dakota. And whether she’s been out of Harvard for a week, a month, or five years, until her ideas about what’s good and bad for North Dakota change, I don’t think she’s the right representation,” said Armstrong.

As for how he feels returning to the Senate chamber, he’s reminded of the note he left for his friend and colleague, Senator Diane Larson, who sat at his desk when he went to Congress.

“So, I wrote her a quote. It’s not actually my quote, it’s General Mattis’s quote, but it’s important for anybody who’s chairing the judiciary and has any kind of sense of humor,” said Armstrong.

The quote reads, “Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet.” Signed, Kelly Armstrong.

The election is on November 8th, and absentee voting has already begun. To request a ballot or for more information about your polling location, visit vote.nd.gov.

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