The Dakota Student - Gov. John Hoeven Runs for Third Term

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The Dakota Student - Gov. John Hoeven Runs for Third Term

Two-term ND governor looks to overcome two other candidates in race for office.

Ryan Johnson

North Dakota voters will choose their governor and lieutenant governor in the November election. This year's race features Republican Governor John Hoeven running again for a third term, with Democratic candidate Tim Mathern and Independent candidate DuWayne Hendrickson challenging the incumbent.

Republican

John Hoeven has served as governor since 2000, and is seeking his third term in this election.

Hoeven was born in Bismarck, and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1979. He went on to receive a master's degree in business administration from Northwestern University in 1981.
He was president and CEO of the Bank of North Dakota (BND) from 1993 until taking office in 2000.

If reelected, Hoeven said that his number one focus in office will continue to be "aggressive economic development." He said that his administration has created over 30,000 jobs so far, and added that this growth will enable the state to accomplish more of its other goals.

"Particularly with what's going on now nationally, you can see how important it is to work on economic development," he said.
Better paying jobs will also be important to create more opportunity in the state, he said. "That's what keeps people here and brings people back," he said.

According to Hoeven, the state has gained over 7,000 people in the last five years.

Energy

The energy sector will also be important for North Dakota's future, he said. Hoeven plans to continue working on energy development, and he said the state is already a national leader in both traditional and renewable production.

Examples of the partnership between the state government and energy industries include work with LM Glasfiber in Grand Forks and DMI Industries in Fargo, both manufacturers of wind turbine components.

He also said that $5 billion of wind development is going on right now.

"It helps the nation, and it creates a higher standard of living here in North Dakota," he said.

Clean coal technology is a major part of his focus as well. Hoeven said that this process allows the state to make use of an abundant resource in new ways.

"We're not only producing electricity, we're also turning coal into gas and capturing CO2," he said. "It's more environmentally friendly.

He said he would work with researchers as well in his energy development, including the Energy & Environment Research Center (EERC) at UND.

Education & family

Education reform has also been a priority while in office, he said. His administration is now working with the legislature on funding adequacy issues involved in K-12 education.

Hoeven is also proposing a $500 million tax relief and education funding relief plan. It would provide $300 million in additional state K-12 education funding while requiring school districts that take the money to reduce local property taxes dollar for dollar.

Another $100 million would be used for income tax relief, and $100 million more would be used for K-12 education.

He said that he plans on addressing family issues in his next term by providing a state grant program to help daycare facilities, as well as performing background checks on childcare providers.

He also would work to establish pre-Kindergarten education in the state. "It's both about helping our kids but also helping families in terms of being able to work because they have available not only childcare, but also child education," he said.

Hoeven said that he would work on expanding home and community based health care for senior citizens to give them more choices and allow them to stay in their house longer.

Higher education

His higher education goals include providing additional opportunities for students to gain work experience and connect with businesses. One example of this effort is expanding funding for Center of Excellence, which helps to bring higher-paying jobs to the state while delivering education to the students.

He said that government support is important for these efforts because they will provide incentives for young people to be educated in North Dakota and stay after their graduation.

"We provide funding to tie those programs at the university together with private business to not only create the jobs of the future, but also to link people to those jobs," he said. "It's a whole range of exciting new areas that give students the opportunity for further education and to get internships."

He said that making these connections between students and the businesses are a reason why the state is making progress.

Hoeven said that students gain valuable experience through their education that will be necessary in the workforce. "Today we have a high-tech global economy and we have to compete, and education is an important part both for the individuals and for the state," he said. "As a state as a whole, we have to compete."

He is also promoting Assistance for College Tuition - North Dakota (ACT-ND), a $40 million need-based program that would provide additional assistance for students of two and four-year institutions.

According to Hoeven, the plan together with Pell Grants would pay about $4,200 a year for qualified students.

"That's an important thing to make college more affordable," he said. "It's making sure that we're helping our young people get the education and the training they need to pursue the jobs in North Dakota."

Hoeven's running mate, Jack Dalrymple, has served as lieutenant governor since 2000.

Look in the next issue of the Dakota Student for further coverage of the gubernatorial race, including information on independent challenger DuWayne Hendrickson.

Democratic-NPL candidate Tim Mathern's interview was featured in the Oct. 24 edition of The Dakota Student.

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