Pam Gulleson

Party: Democrat
State: North Dakota
What you need to know: Gulleson brings a depth to foreign policy and is an advocate for progressive national security policies.

Democrat - Challenger
Endorsed by Council for a Livable World

While the Presidential race in North Dakota is not expected to be competitive (Mitt Romney is considered a heavy favorite), at the Congressional level, the state is a battleground. Two free-for-all elections were sparked by Senator Kent Conrad’s (D) decision to retire after twenty-five years in office: one for Conrad’s seat and one for the At-Large House seat held by Rep. Rick Berg (R), who is running for Conrad’s seat. The Democratic candidate for the now-open House seat is Pam Gulleson.

Gulleson’s roots in North Dakota run deep. A life-long resident of the state, she grew up on her family’s dairy farm in southeastern North Dakota. Farming continues to be Gulleson’s primary work with her husband and sons, who are partners in the fifth-generation family farm which raises corn, beans, and alfalfa, and operates a cattle feedlot.

A longtime interest in public service led Gulleson to run for the North Dakota House of Representatives, where she served for 16 years. While there, she was elected assistant floor leader by her caucus and served on the appropriations committee.

In the state capitol, Gulleson earned respect from both sides of the aisle. She actively supported middle class and working families, economic development and infrastructure investment, promoted renewable energy and clean tech initiatives, ensured expanded education and research and development funding, and insisted that government be held accountable.

Gulleson worked for 9 years as U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan’s state director and chief of staff, where she advanced major initiatives on farm, energy, trade and Native American policy, water development, flood protection, and research and development. She is especially known for her work with Senator Dorgan in creating the Red River Valley Research Corridor, which has brought hundreds of high-paying jobs to North Dakota.

Gulleson brings a depth and breadth to foreign policy and like her former boss Senator Dorgan, advocates for progressive national security policies. She supports the vision of a nuclear weapons free world articulated by President Obama and ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban. She opposes the development of new nuclear weapons and deploying weapons in space. She is a strong advocate of bringing U.S. troops home from Afghanistan as soon as is safely possible.

There are currently two Republicans competing for the nomination to run against Gulleson. Signs point to Gulleson having a strong chance of defeating either. North Dakota voters have a history of voting for Democrats in congressional races. Prior to Berg winning this seat in 2010, it was held for 18 years by Democrat Earl Pomeroy. A recent poll of the Senate race showed a dead heat between the Democratic and Republican candidates, in spite of Mitt Romney easily winning in the Presidential race. While the poll did not measure the House race, it is also likely to be very close.

Although North Dakota is a large state, it is only covered by two television media markets, and even small contributions can make a big difference. You can play a crucial role in electing Pam Gulleson to Congress by making a check out to Pam Gulleson for North Dakota and mailing it to Council for a Livable World at the address below or by donating online by clicking the button on this page.

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