Alex Balazs awarded ND GOP endorsement for House after Fedorchak withdraws, following pair of failed votes

FARGO, N.D. (KFYR) - Veteran Alex Balazs won the endorsement for the North Dakota GOP for the state’s at-large U.S. House seat at the party’s convention Saturday, after fellow candidate Julie Fedorchak withdrew from consideration for the endorsement following two failed votes.

It brought a chaotic end to the ND GOP Convention, after no candidate secured the delegates needed for the party’s endorsement by votes tallied.

In the second vote, Balazs defeated Fedorchak but failed to reach the threshold needed to get the endorsement by a few votes.

At that point, Fedorchak addressed the convention asking to withdraw from consideration for the endorsement, and asking that her delegates be awarded to Balazs.

Nearly 400 ballots were spoiled in the first vote in an apparent protest of the convention rules led by Rick Becker.

Becker was unable to be considered for endorsement after he ran as an independent in a previous election, which disqualified him from being considered for the nomination.

After the first vote failed, Becker addressed the convention urging delegates to avoid spoiling their ballots on the second vote.

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