TORONTO -- A North Dakota Republican candidate who died from COVID-19 in October has won a seat in the state legislature.
David Andahl, 55, died on Oct. 5 after he was hospitalized with the coronavirus and had been sick for four days, his mother told The Bismarck Tribune at the time.
On Tuesday evening, however, Andahl was one of two Republicans elected to the state’s 8th District in the North Dakota House of Representatives. The Bismarck-area district chooses two representatives for the legislature.
According to unofficial results posted by the secretary of state’s office, Andahl received 5,901 votes for 35 per cent of the vote. Republican Dave Nehring claimed the state’s other seat with 6,763 votes for 41 per cent of the vote.
In a high-profile June primary, Andahl and Nehring won Republicans’ endorsements and voters’ nominations to defeat long-time incumbent Rep. Jeff Delzer, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
In a statement released a week after Andahl’s death, North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem ruled that his name would still appear on the ballot and all of the votes casted for him should be counted.
“In the event the deceased candidate receives the majority of the votes, the candidate is elected. However, if the prevailing candidate has died, the candidate is no longer qualified, and a vacancy would exist,” Stenehjem wrote.
Because Andahl did, indeed, win a seat in the legislature, the state Republican party will be allowed to appoint his replacement.
With files from The Associated Press
