North Dakotans re-elect Public Service Commission Chair Randy Christmann over Native candidate

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa citizen Tracey Wilkie takes 30% of vote for state’s top utility regulator

North Dakotans re-elected Randy Christmann as Public Service Commissioner on the Nov. 5th ballot, casting 30% of the vote for Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa citizen Tracey Wilkie. The race was critical even beyond state boundaries, as the utilities regulator has the final say on controversial pipelines and other transmission systems.

Christmann, a Republican, received approximately 70% of the vote, while Wilkie ran on the minority Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party ticket. In total, around 347,000 people cast ballots for Public Service Commissioner, according to the North Dakota Secretary of State.

 “There’s a lot of work to do with the commission, especially in the area of energy,” Christmann told Buffalo’s Fire, when the results came out. The three members of the board permitted Energy Transfer Partners’ disputed Dakota Access Pipeline. They are reviewing an appeal from another private company seeking right of way for its energy infrastructure project. Summit Carbon Solutions aims to pipe ethanol refinery emissions from nearby states to underground storage near the North Dakota capital of Bismarck.

The law forbids commissioners from discussing open cases. As throughout his 10-month campaign, Christmann stressed the commission’s role in assuring constituents access to dependable heat, lighting and telecommunications. “Our electric grid is, I’ve heard some people explain, the most complicated machine ever created,” Christmann said. “The most complicated machine ever created means it needs careful maintenance.”

The Bismarck-based candidate said he traveled to dozens of communities, going to his party’s district conventions and attending parades. “It’s grueling but it’s good,” he said. “The people that you visit with on the trail are inspiring, but it’s insightful too. I learn from them every time and it helps me to do my job by understanding what the people of North Dakota are thinking.”

In his second six-year term, he said, “I intend to continue to work just as hard as I can to help people to understand that maintaining the reliability of our electric grid is absolutely essential and it can’t happen by accident.”

North Dakota is one of 11 states where the voters can elect Public Service Commissioners.  The PSC plays a key role in protecting consumers by ensuring utilities comply with rules, including those governing service disconnections. It also works to resolve disputes between consumers and utilities while establishing fair rates and regulations. Its authority over county-elected positions in private pipeline projects is a bone of contention. 

In addition to Christmann, the other commissioners are Sherri Haugen-Hoffart and Julie Fedorchak, who won her race for Congress on Tuesday. The PSC holds formal meetings every two weeks, with special sessions scheduled as needed for urgent or specific matters.

Christmann’s challenger Wilkie, from Fargo, positioned herself to become the first Native on the commission. She championed water, land and low-income ratepayers. She did not immediately answer Buffalo’s Fire inquiries about the election outcome. In its leadup, she spoke about the importance of balancing environmental concerns with pipeline profits.

Patrick Hart, the Democrat candidate for Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota, nominated her and campaigned with her since summer. They participated in 19 parades across the state, he said. “We went out and listened to people, and we heard their issues,” he told Buffalo’s Fire during the Democrats’ watch party in Bismarck. “That’s a really big element of what the Democratic Party and the state candidates on the ticket did.”

Hart worked at ​​the Public Service Commission from 2015 to 2018. “I worked in the Grain Warehouse Division, which regulated all the farm elevators,” he said. “I made sure that the elevators had enough money or crops on hand, to pay the farmers in case someone became insolvent or went bankrupt.”

Eventually, Hart left the PSC to become an auditor for the state government. He is still passionate about the work the commission does, he said. He wants to open doors for candidates such as Wilkie to run “as an alternative candidate to the rubber stamp that is the Public Service Commission,” he said.

Hart lost to Michelle Strinden, the Republican candidate, but expresses optimism for his political future, as well as Wilkie’s.

“If you’re not happy with the way your government’s being run, if you look at Bismarck and you think that there needs to be change, then you have to vote for someone new,” Hart said.

Christmann is thankful to voters for re-electing him to office.  “I think clearly the voters have sent the message that they are pretty pleased with the work of the Public Service Commission, our safety programs and our compliance programs.”

References:

​​Federico, L. (2018, September 13). Outlook: Regulatory climates bear watching in several states as 2018 marches on. S&P Global Homepage. https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/outlook-regulatory-climates-bear-watching-in-several-states-as-2018-marches-on-46480169 

North Dakota State Public Service Commission. Home: Public Service Commission, North Dakota. (n.d.). https://www.psc.nd.gov/ 

Statewide Results. North Dakota Secretary of State. (n.d.). https://results.sos.nd.gov/ResultsSW.aspx?text=All&type=SW&map=CTY 

Dateline:

BISMARCK, N.D.