Port: U.S. House Candidate Trygve Hammer’s fascinating triangulation

April 22, 2026

Trygve Hammer, Democratic-NPL candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, mingles with guests in the Red River Valley Fairgrounds Hartl Ag Building on Friday, July 12, 2024.

Alyssa Goelzer / Forum file photo

MINOT — Recently, I wrote about an odd reality in North Dakota politics: we have, at least for this election, effectively three political parties.

There are the Democrats, who are looking renewed though still facing stiff headwinds. There are the traditionally conservative Republicans, who, for the most part, are the incumbents on the ballot and are led by Gov. Kelly Armstrong. And then there are the populist Republicans, who have won leadership positions in the North Dakota Republican Party and a smattering of legislative seats.

That divide among our state's Republicans seems like something Democrats could exploit and, indeed, it seems like maybe Democratic U.S. House candidate Trygve Hammer is attempting to do just that. 

Why do I believe that? Allow me to show my work.

First there was the cameo Hammer made at the NDGOP's state convention in Minot, where Hammer lives. That event was held in the same facility as…