Announcing North Dakota's 2026 Annual Pro-Life Conference!
Please mark your calendars for Thursday, January 22nd, 2026, and join us at 9:30 am at the Heritage Center's Russell Reid Auditorium, in Bismarck, as we celebrate North Dakota’s annual Right-To-Life Day! We’ll have life-affirming messages from several speakers, a delicious lunch, and fellowship as we give thanks for God’s precious gift of life! You can purchase tickets for $25 HERE.
We're incredibly privileged to hear from several local North Dakota champions for life!
*Katie Vidmar, Founder of The Body Literacy Project, National Women's Health Consultant
*Jeannie Nasers, Executive Director of Christian Adoption Services
*Senator Janne Myrdal, State Senator, District 19, Chair of ND Legislative Pro-Life Caucus
*Bridget Turbide, Executive Director of North Dakota Right To Life
*Dr. David Tamisiea, Executive Director of North Dakota Catholic Conference
Tickets will be $25 and can be purchased HERE, or they can be purchased at a group rate by calling 701-355-6425. We hope to see you on Thursday, January 22nd, as we seek to reaffirm the dignity and value of every human being!
Three Votes is Unsatisfactory
As you know by now, the North Dakota Supreme Court ruled on November 21 that the abortion ban protecting preborn children that was signed into law in 2023 must be upheld. The catalyst for this case began with the “Trigger Law” put into place in 2007, which said abortions would no longer be allowed in ND after Roe v. Wade was struck down, as it was with the Dobbs case in 2022. However, as soon as that happened, pro-abortion groups took the state to court to block and overturn our law. They just lost!
The above paragraph is what I said in my email celebrating our pro-life victory on the day of the ruling. It truly was a hard-won and important victory for those of us fighting for life in our state. However, something bothered me. The ND Supreme Court could overturn our abortion laws that we’ve worked on for decades, with just 4 of the 5 Justices ruling in favor of the plaintiffs. Thankfully, only 3 of the 5 voted with the plaintiffs, so it failed, but that was just a one-vote difference. In other words, our entire protection of the preborn in ND came down to one vote. That kind of thin margin should worry all of us.
North Dakota, a pro-life conservative state, almost lost this critical battle. Importantly, it was not our legislature or governor who created this knife-edge win, but the judicial system. We publish legislative scorecards and/or can provide input on gubernatorial and legislative races, but when you ask us about judicial positions, we often can’t give you much guidance. We simply don’t have the resources to do the required research.
Justices serving on our ND Supreme Court must be fundamentally nonpartisan. Candidates for these offices are always very careful in their materials not to reveal any biases they might have. However, they are human and have their opinions and preferred way to interpret the law. The viewpoint of Justices on certain issues is not always obvious, but with this decision, it was. In a comprehensive way, it came down to allowing or prohibiting abortion in our state. How the Justices ruled was a pretty good indicator of their stance on the life issue – arguably the most important subject to many of us. However, keep in mind that Justices vote on more than one issue; there’s energy, farming, business, gender, religious freedom, and many more. So, while being a one-issue voter may be what you decide to do, it may come at a cost to you.
What can we do about it? First, let me state unequivocally what we should absolutely NOT do. We should never write angry or inappropriate emails to the Justices. We should never harass or threaten them. We should never take the issue into their personal lives. I can tell you with certainty that this type of behavior does not change minds, and in many cases, backfires, making the person even more firm in their viewpoint. But perhaps most importantly, there is absolutely no tolerance for this type of behavior as followers of Christ.
Back to the question, what can we do? We can vote and pray for those advising the governor’s appointments. Unlike SCOTUS, where their positions are for life, ND Supreme Court Justices are either initially appointed by the governor for a two-year term to fill a retirement or death during a 10-yr term of office, but then must run in the next general election to complete the term OR they are directly elected to a 10-yr term, which can then be extended 10 years at a time. Either way, it is presented to you for a vote. Of our existing Justices, some were simply appointed, while others needed your and my votes to assume their position.
*Governor Armstrong will soon convene a committee to put together a list of candidates for appointment, according to the Governor’s Office.
**Recently elected to serve as Chief Justice, with her term beginning on Jan 1, 2026.
***Justice Bahr recused himself, given his prior work representing the state as Solicitor General in a Supreme Court case involving the clinic.
So, there you go. Please don’t misunderstand me – I don’t mean to be a wet blanket on the tremendous win we had with the recent ruling. It was huge! However, not unlike our legislative scorecard, we believe in accountability for all three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. You can have an impact on how the highest court in the state is shaped!
Do You Know Your School Board Members?
Let’s be honest, many of us struggle to name our own school district’s board members. It’s not too surprising, considering that school board elections have the lowest voter turnout of all local elections – about 5-10 percent.
Even if you don’t have children in public school, our local school boards make critical decisions that impact North Dakota families for years to come. They help determine curriculum, budgets, hire and evaluate the superintendent, consider course offerings, set the school calendar, and perhaps most importantly – establish policies that will impact the values of our children. In the words of Franklin Graham, "We need to get Christian men and women to run for school boards. I think the most important elected official is a school board member."
Who would you want to see serving in that role? We at NDFA would love to see Godly men and women running and serving on school boards throughout our state! With that in mind, please reach out to us if you are aware of a conservative Christian candidate who will be running in an upcoming ND school board election. Together with our partner organizations, we want to provide support to these men and women and ensure that our schools reflect our values.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at NDFA! There are many, many things that we are thankful for. Above all, we give thanks to God for His saving grace and His faithful hand on this ministry. We are deeply grateful for the blessings He provides and for all of you who make this work possible. May your day be filled with joy, fellowship, and the warmth of family and friends. Have a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving!
A HUGE Pro-Life Victory for ND!
I am thrilled to pass along great news about the protection of our pro-life laws here in ND! The ND Supreme Court ruled a few hours ago that the abortion ban protecting preborn children that was signed into law in 2023 is constitutional and must be upheld. This was essentially the “Trigger Law” put into place in 2007, which said abortions would no longer be allowed in ND after Roe v. Wade was struck down, as it was with the Dobbs case in 2022. However, as soon as that happened, pro-abortion groups took the state to court to block and overturn our law. They just lost!
So, what does this mean? It means that our state bans abortion in virtually all cases, with the only exceptions being rape and incest under 6 weeks pregnant, or to protect the life of the mother. Importantly, it also does not allow psychological conditions to be sufficient medical reasons for abortions, something pro-abortion groups have been pushing for.
After two years of court battles (including NDFA and allied orgs successfully fighting subpoenas associated with this case), the legislature’s overwhelming decision to protect life in our state was reaffirmed. We want to thank legislators for taking that important vote in 2007, Governor Hoeven for signing it into law, and also want to thank the ND Attorney General’s Office for fighting in court these past two years to protect the law.
While this is a huge win, we are nevertheless disappointed that 3 of the 5 justices decided against the law (they needed 4 to rule it unconstitutional). It’s an important reminder that even in a conservative, faith-based state like ours, nothing is guaranteed in public policy battles. For that reason, NDFA is committed to keep fighting on your behalf in the political arena to defend your deeply held beliefs. But for now, we thank the Lord for his provision and celebrate this important victory!