North Dakota’s Hoeven wins third term in US Senate

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Republican John Hoeven has won reelection to a third term in the U.S. Senate.

Hoeven coasted past Rick Becker, a fellow Republican who ran as an independent after losing the GOP endorsement to Hoeven, and Democrat Katrina Christiansen, a University of Jamestown engineering professor and political newcomer.

Hoeven, a former banker who served three terms as governor and won his first two Senate terms easily, vastly outraised his opponents. Federal campaign filings as of Nov. 3 show that Hoeven’s campaign raised more than $4 million, compared with Becker’s roughly $550,000 and Christiansen’s roughly $92,600.

Becker tried to turn that history and money against him at the party convention, portraying Hoeven as a big-spending, big-government politician who had lost touch with his conservative base.

Hoeven countered by touting his involvement in North Dakota’s economic development and highlighting his opposition to most of President Joe Biden’s policies. Hoeven got a video message of support from former President Donald Trump, who remains popular in the state.

Before he was first elected to the Senate in 2010, Hoeven served as North Dakota’s governor for a decade and as head of the state-owned Bank of North Dakota for seven years prior to that. The former Democrat switched parties four years before he became governor.

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