Roland Riemers

Last updated
Roland Riemers
Personal details
Born
Roland Clifford Riemers

(1943-05-15) May 15, 1943 (age 81)
Lake City, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party Democratic (1996, 2020–present)
Other political
affiliations		 Republican (1970s)
Libertarian (1996–2020)
Independent (at various times)
SpouseMeixiang Liu
Children8
Residence Grand Forks, North Dakota
Alma mater Anoka-Ramsey Community College (AS)
University of North Dakota (BS)

Roland Clifford Riemers (born May 15, 1943) is an American perennial candidate best known for winning the 1996 North Dakota Democratic presidential primary.

Contents

Early life and career

Riemers was born in 1943 in Lake City, Minnesota. He attended San Antonio College, received his AS in nursing from Anoka-Ramsey Community College in 1973, his BS in industrial technology from the University of North Dakota in 1984, and attended but did not graduate from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1998 and 1999. Riemers currently lives in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and has 8 children. [1]

Riemers was an early adopter of solar energy, and in the 1970s built and lived in the first completely solar-powered home in the northern United States. He currently works as a real estate investor and manager. [2]

Political career

Riemers made his first bid for office in 1970 for District 40 of the Minnesota House of Representatives. [3] [4] He ran as a Republican for Minnesota's 5th congressional district in 1972. He lost to Allen Davisson in the Republican primary, who went on to lose the general election to incumbent Democrat Donald M. Fraser. Riemers then ran for the United States Senate in the 1976 election and placed fourth in the Republican primary. [5]

During the 1996 Democratic Party presidential primaries, incumbent President Bill Clinton refused to file for the North Dakota primary because its early date violated national party rules. As a result, the only candidates on the ballot were Riemers, fellow North Dakotan Vernon Clemenson, and controversial political activist Lyndon LaRouche. Riemers prevailed, receiving 41% of the vote to LaRouche's 34% and Clemenson's 24% in a low-turnout race which saw fewer than 15% of voters participate. [6]

Later in 1996, Riemers ran as a Libertarian for District 33 of the North Dakota House of Representatives. He placed last with 2.3% of the vote. Riemers lost independent bids for Governor of North Dakota in 2004 and 2012 and U.S. Senate in 2006. [5] He also ran for Grand Forks County Sheriff in 2010, placing last in the nonpartisan primary with 1.5% of the vote. [7] Riemers served as chair of the Libertarian Party of North Dakota from 2011 until 2015. [8]

In 2014, Riemers ran for North Dakota Secretary of State as a Libertarian and placed third with 5.3% of the vote. In 2016, he was the Libertarian nominee for North Dakota State Auditor. Because no Democrat ran, Riemers faced Republican Josh Gallion in a head-to-head matchup, and while he lost the election by nearly 54 points, he won strongly Democratic Rolette and Sioux counties. [5] In 2018, Riemers again ran for Secretary of State, but was unable to make it onto the ballot and launched a write-in campaign for North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner instead. [9]

Riemers ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020 as a Democrat. He opposed Donald Trump's presidency and branded himself as a "dump-the-Trump" candidate. [10] However, the North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party disavowed his candidacy, citing his right-wing economic policies and opposition to COVID-19 pandemic containment measures. [11] [12] He lost the primary to Zach Raknerud, receiving 37% of the vote. [5]

In 2024, Riemers ran in the Democratic–Nonpartisan League primary for North Dakota's lone House seat. He simultaneously filed to run for a seat on the Grand Forks School Board. [13] He finished last in both races, earning 26.26% in the Congressional primary. Losing to Trygve Hammer who received 73.4% of the vote. [14] and 4.9% in the School Board race. [15]

Political positions

Riemers supports marijuana legalization and identifies as pro-choice. He opposes increased gun control and supports repealing the Patriot Act. [2] [4]

On economic issues, Riemers favors lower taxation and a reduced state budget. [16] He supports school vouchers and calls himself "conservative when it comes to spending". [11] [17] Riemers favors repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. [18]

Riemers opposed the CARES Act, the $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill designed to combat the economic conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of business closures, he favored social distancing measures and herd immunity to fight the pandemic. [11]

In 2012, Riemers' address was placed on the sex offender registry after he let a convicted sex offender move in with him. [19]

In May 2017, Riemers was charged with domestic assault after allegedly striking his wife, Meixiang Liu. The charges were dismissed that September, citing insufficient evidence. [20] [21]

In October 2022, Reimers was charged with a Class B misdemeanor disorderly conduct after a one-day trial. Riemers had parked his car near the train tracks at the intersection of 55th Street N. and DeMers Ave. in Grand Forks, ND and attempted to put a BNSF Railway train and all of its staff under citizen's arrest for blocking the road for more than 10 minutes. During the trial he stated “I am an activist against train blockages in Grand Forks, I consider this a serious problem.” It took 20 minutes for the jury to reach a guilty verdict and he was sentenced to 360 days of unsupervised probation and a $500 fine. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of North Dakota</span> Overview of the politics of the U.S. state of North Dakota

The politics of North Dakota were shaped historically by early settlement by people from the Northern Tier, who carried their politics west ultimately from New England, upstate New York, and the Upper Midwest. The area and state also received numerous European immigrants and migrants, particularly during the era of opening up of former Native American lands for sale and settlement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 North Dakota elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of North Dakota on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, with primary elections being held on June 8, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 North Dakota gubernatorial election</span>

The 2012 North Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2012, to elect a Governor and Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota, concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Governor Jack Dalrymple succeeded to the office when then-Governor John Hoeven resigned to take a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2010. Dalrymple, a member of the Republican Party, won election to a full term. Ryan Taylor was the Democratic nominee. Dalrymple prevailed with 63% of the vote; he declined to seek re-election in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States Senate elections</span>

The 2018 United States Senate elections were held on November 6, 2018. Among the 100 seats, the 33 of Class 1 were contested in regular elections while 2 others were contested in special elections due to Senate vacancies in Minnesota and Mississippi. The regular election winners were elected to 6-year terms running from January 3, 2019, to January 3, 2025. Senate Democrats had 26 seats up for election, while Senate Republicans had 9 seats up for election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 North Dakota elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of North Dakota on November 4, 2014. Five of North Dakota's executive officers were up for election as well as the state's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives. Primary elections were held on June 10, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Becker</span> North Dakota politician and physician

Ricky Clark Becker is an American businessman and politician from Bismarck. He served in the North Dakota House of Representatives as a Republican from 2012 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 North Dakota elections</span>

North Dakota held two statewide elections in 2016: a primary election on Tuesday, June 14, and a general election on Tuesday, November 8. In addition, each township elected officers on Tuesday, March 15, and each school district selected a date between April 1 and June 30 to hold their elections. This would have been the first election since the state legislature revoked the ability to use a student or military ID to satisfy state ID voting requirements, but a court ruling in August struck the down the provision, and the election was held under the 2013 rules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States House of Representatives election in North Dakota</span>

The 2018 United States House of Representatives election in North Dakota was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the U.S. representative for North Dakota's at-large congressional district. The election coincided with the U.S. Senate election, as well as other statewide, legislative, and local elections.

Joshua Charles Gallion is an American Republican politician and accountant who has served as North Dakota State Auditor since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1920 United States Senate election in North Dakota</span>

The 1920 United States Senate election in North Dakota took place on November 2, 1920. Incumbent Senator Republican Senator Asle Gronna ran for re-election to a third term. However, he was narrowly defeated in the Republican primary by Edwin F. Ladd, the President of the North Dakota Agricultural College, who had been endorsed by the Nonpartisan League. In the general election, Ladd was opposed by H. H. Perry, the Democratic nominee and a Democratic National Committeeman. As Republican presidential nominee Warren G. Harding overwhelmingly won North Dakota over Democratic nominee James M. Cox, Ladd also staked out a wide victory—though his margin of victory was not as large as Harding's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1926 United States Senate election in North Dakota</span>

The 1926 United States Senate election in North Dakota took place on November 2, 1926. Following his re-election in the special election earlier in the year, Senator Gerald Nye ran for re-election to a full term. Despite spurning the Republican Party's endorsement in the special election, Nye ran in the Republican primary in the regular election. On the same day that he defeated former Governor Louis B. Hanna in the special election—in which Hanna had the Republican nomination and Nye ran as the Nonpartisan League candidate—Nye defeated Hanna in the Republican primary for the regular election. Nye once again faced a crowded general election, but emerged victorious in a landslide, winning nearly 70% of the vote while none of his opponents exceeded 15%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 North Dakota Secretary of State election</span>

The 2018 North Dakota Secretary of State election occurred on November 6, 2018, to elect the North Dakota Secretary of State, concurrently with various other state and local elections. Six-time incumbent Republican Secretary of State Alvin Jaeger was eligible to run for re-election to a seventh term in office, but withdrew from his party's primary after failing to receive the endorsement. When the primary winner withdrew from the general election race, Jaeger and fellow Republican Michael Coachman each gathered and turned in signatures to run as independent candidates. Libertarian Party candidate Roland Riemers failed to get enough primary election votes to make the general election ballot both in an initial count and in a court-ordered recount. Democratic-NPL state representative Joshua Boschee was the only candidate who advanced from the primary and the only candidate that had his party listed on the general election ballot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 North Dakota elections</span>

North Dakota held two statewide elections in 2020: a primary election on Tuesday, June 9, and a general election on Tuesday, November 3. In addition, each township elected officers on Tuesday, March 17, and each school district held their elections on a date of their choosing between April 1 and June 30.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States House of Representatives election in North Dakota</span>

The 2020 United States House of Representatives election in North Dakota was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the U.S. representative from North Dakota's at-large congressional district. The election coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States Senate election in North Dakota</span>

The 2022 United States Senate election in North Dakota was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of North Dakota. Incumbent Republican John Hoeven was first elected in 2010 with 76% of the vote to succeed retiring Democratic–NPL incumbent Byron Dorgan, and won re-election in 2016 with 78.5% of the vote. He ran for a re-election to a third term in office against Democratic-NPL nominee Katrina Christiansen. He also faced State Representative Rick Becker, who initially ran as a Republican in the primary, but suspended his campaign in August 2022 and instead ran as an Independent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1918 South Dakota gubernatorial election</span>

The 1918 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1918. Incumbent Republican Governor Peter Norbeck ran for re-election to a second term. He won the Republican primary unopposed and faced Nonpartisan League candidate Mark P. Bates, a farmer, and Democratic nominee James E. Bird in the general election. Norbeck's share of the vote decreased from 1916 to 53%, but he benefited from the split field. Bates placed second with 26% of the vote, while Bird placed third with 19% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Arkansas elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Arkansas on November 8, 2022. All of Arkansas' executive officers were up for election as well as all four of the state's seats in the United States House of Representatives and a U.S. senator. Primaries were held on May 24, 2022, with runoff primaries on June 21. Polls were open from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM CST.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States secretary of state elections</span>

The 2022 United States secretary of state elections were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the secretaries of state in twenty-seven states. These elections took place concurrently with several other federal, state, and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States House of Representatives election in North Dakota</span>

The 2024 United States House of Representatives election in North Dakota were held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States House of Representatives to represent the state of North Dakota from its at-large congressional district. The election coincided with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the U.S. House, elections to the United States Senate, and various other state and local elections. The primary elections are scheduled for June 11, 2024.

References

  1. ↑ "Roland Riemers' Biography". VoteSmart. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Schramm, Jill (May 26, 2020). "Democratic-NPL candidates target US House seat". Minot Daily News . Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Minnesota Manual 1971-1972" (PDF). Minnesota Secretary of State. 1971. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Roland Riemers, Grand Forks County Sheriff candidate". Grand Forks Herald . May 26, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Riemers, Roland". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Ballot Access News -- March 6, 1996". Ballot Access News. March 6, 1996. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  7. ↑ "All Contests in Grand Forks". North Dakota Secretary of State. June 8, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  8. ↑ Smith, Nick (September 18, 2016). "Gallion, Riemers face off in state auditor's race". Bismarck Tribune . Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  9. ↑ Baumgarten, April (October 17, 2018). "Roland Riemers asks for write-in votes, promises to promote N.D. marijuana". Agriculture Week . Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  10. ↑ Turley, Jeremy (February 21, 2020). "Grand Forks Libertarian launches campaign for U.S. House seat". Grand Forks Herald . Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 Dura, Jack (May 4, 2020). "Longtime Libertarian disavowed in Democratic-NPL primary race for U.S. House seat". Williston Herald . Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  12. ↑ Notermann, Jacob (June 1, 2020). "Dem primary heating up". KFYR-TV . Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Grand Forks County Commission and Grand Forks School Board see six candidates apiece in 2024 - Grand Forks Herald | Grand Forks, East Grand Forks news, weather & sports". 2024-04-09. Archived from the original on 2024-04-09. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  14. ↑ "North Dakota Secretary of State". 2024-06-12. Archived from the original on 2024-06-12. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  15. ↑ "Voters reelect incumbents, plus newcomer Jay Kleven, to Grand Forks School Board". Grand Forks Herald. 2024-06-12. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  16. ↑ Port, Rob (October 13, 2016). "Audio: Libertarian, Republican Auditor Candidates Disagree on the Size of the Office They're Running For". SayAnythingBlog. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  17. ↑ Smith, Nick (April 24, 2012). "Roland Riemers enters governor's race". Bismarck Tribune . Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  18. ↑ Darnay, Keith (February 19, 2020). "Roland Riemers running for U.S. House in the June ND primary". KX Television . Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Grand Forks man upset his address on sex offender registry". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead . January 31, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  20. ↑ Ulku, Jay (May 11, 2017). "Libertarian candidate Riemers charged with domestic assault". Jamestown Sun . Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  21. ↑ Baumgarten, April (September 19, 2017). "Assault case against Libertarian Roland Riemers suspended" . Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  22. ↑ Kelly, Sav. "Roland Riemers found guilty of disorderly conduct for blocking train, lighting road flare". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.