Former North Dakota lawmaker Rick Becker announces run for US House Seat

• Former North Dakota state Rep. Rick Becker, a Republican and plastic surgeon from Bismarck, has announced his candidacy for the state's only U.S. House seat.
• Becker unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate as an independent in 2022, receiving more than 18% of the statewide vote.
• He served in the state Legislature from 2012 to 2022 and founded the Bastiat Caucus, which advocated for expanded gun rights and stricter budgets.

A former North Dakota state lawmaker is running for the state's only U.S. House seat.

Republican Rick Becker, a plastic surgeon in Bismarck, announced his campaign Monday. He won more than 18% of the statewide vote in his unsuccessful 2022 U.S. Senate race, defeating Republican Sen. John Hoeven and Democrats who are also running for the Senate this year. He ran as an independent candidate against Katrina Christiansen.

Republican Rep. Kelly Armstrong, an attorney and former state senator, announced earlier this month that she would run for reelection to the seat she first won in 2018. Democrat Trygv Hamer, a military veteran, is also running.

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Mr. Becker said in an interview that he considers Mr. Armstrong a friend.

“It's not that I'm interested in unseating him, I'm just presenting voters with a choice,” Becker said. “I think we’re at a point where people are really looking for someone to fight boldly and commit to what I call progressive, woke policies.”

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Becker served in the state Legislature from 2012 to 2022 and founded the ultra-conservative Bastiat Caucus, a group of Trump-aligned Republicans who support expanding gun rights and tightening the budget. He unsuccessfully sought Republican support in the 2016 gubernatorial race.

Becker is also leading a proposed 2024 ballot initiative to eliminate local property taxes.