Hillsboro Banner

District 20 Democrats announced their plans for the 2008 elections this week.

State Representative Ole Aarsvold of Blanchard announced Sunday he will not seek re-election to the N.D. House. Aarsvold, first elected in 1988, is currently serving his 20th year in the House and is the second most senior member of the Democratic minority.

The two other incumbents — Senator Elroy Lindaas and Rep. Lee Kaldor, both of Mayville — announced they would run for re-election.

Rick Holman of Mayville announced Tuesday that he will seek the District 20 Democratic-NPL endorsement for Aarsvold’s seat.

District 20 Democrats will meet for their party convention Sunday, March 9 in Mayville to endorse legislative candidates.

Aarsvold has served on the House Appropriation Committee - Education and Environment Section since 1996. He is one of two legislators who serve as voting members on the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education. He’s also served as a delegate on the steering committee for the Legislators’ Forum since its inception.

His current interim appointments include the Budget Section, Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee, Budget and Finance Committee and the Natural Resources Committee.

As a lawmaker, Aarsvold is known for his attention to K-12 and higher education, property tax reform, water issues, agricultural research and the care of the developmentally disabled.

Aarsvold says he’s leaving the Legislature to spend more time with his family. His grown children and grandchildren are scattered from Seattle to Atlanta. He says he feels a need to devote more time to them and their activities.

Aarsvold says he leaves with “a profound respect for the process, admiration for those who devote time and energy to making North Dakota a better place and friends of both political persuasions.”

Holman is a relative newcomer to politics. He was a public school teacher for 11 years and a professor at Mayville State University for 15 years. He farmed for 17 years near Clifford and Galesburg. He now lives on a farm near Mayville with his wife Marilyn and retains an interest in a farming operation.

In 2007 he was granted professor emeritus status and received MSU’s Distinguished Alumni Award. He currently serves as secretary-treasurer of the Traill County Economic Development Commission.

Holman says he’s concerned with rising property taxes. “Just to meet local needs, property taxes throughout North Dakota have increased dramatically over the past several years.”

He also commented, “Education is a top priority for the future of North Dakota. I firmly believe in a strong preK-12 educational system combined with a variety of accessible opportunities after high school.”

Representative Kaldor was first elected in 1988 and served until 1996. He was re-elected to the House in 2004. He most recently served on the House Human Services Committee and the Political Subdivisions Committee. In his previous tenure he served on the House Appropriations Committee - Education and Environment Section, the Judiciary and Transportation Committees as well as the Joint Constitutional Revision Committee in 1989.

His current interim appointments include the Human Services Committee and the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Affairs, which he chairs.

Senator Lindaas was first elected in 1990 to fill out the unexpired term of the late Senator Clark Ewen. Lindaas currently serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, a position he’s held eight of his nine sessions. He has served on the Higher Education Roundtable since its inception.

Lindaas is a farmer and businessman. He and his wife Janice have seven grown children.

District 20 consists of all of Traill County and portions of Barnes, Cass and Steele counties.