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Port: Gov.Armstrong is corrupt, claim the populists, except when he's politically convenient.MINOT — "Governor Kelly Armstrong recently announced a $1 MILLION commitment to primary conservative and liberty candidates across North Dakota," an April fundraising email from Citizens Alliance of North Dakota claimed."This is significant funding that could put our state at risk of fiscal waste, social decay, and corruption." Citizens Alliance is a national organization based in Ohio.The North Dakota chapter is run by disgraced former lawmaker Brandon Prichard, who has previously raised money for Citizens Alliance through duplicitous means.Prichard and his group are trying to elect a slate of populist legislative candidates this primary season, pitting himself against Armstrong and the slate of traditional Republicans he supports.ADVERTISEMENT So it's odd, then, given that Prichard has accused Armstrong of promoting "fiscal waste, social decay, and corruption," that a flyer his group sent out in support of a Grand Forks-area legislative candidate is aligning that candidate with Armstrong."STAND WITH GOV.ARMSTRONG TO CUT WASTEFUL SPENDING," the flyer, backing District 42 House candidate Connie Osowski, states."Connie Osowski supports working with Governor Armstrong to cut wasteful spending and protect taxpayer dollars.While families are tightening their budgets, government should too." It also incorrectly identifies Osowski's opponent, Rep.Dustin McNally, as "the challenger." He's actually the incumbent, albeit a short timer.He was appointed in September of last year to fill a vacancy created by former lawmaker Emily O'Brien when she stepped down to take a position in Armstrong's administration.Ironically, McNally is among the candidates endorsed and supported by Armstrong, yet Osowski (or, at least, Citizens Alliance on her behalf) is aligning herself with him.I'm sure I don't need to tell you why.Prichard may believe that Armstrong is corrupt and wasteful and a promoter of "social decay," and others in the populist faction may, ludicrously, believe that the governor is, in supporting candidates like McNally, doing something so illegal that the remedy in our state constitution is removal from office, but the fact remains that Armstrong is one of the most popular state leaders in the country.Armstrong won the 2024 primary over former Lt.Tammy Miller with more than 73% of the vote.He won the general election with more than 68% of the vote.An August 2025 poll from the North Dakota News Cooperative found Armstrong to be the most popular political leader in North Dakota, with a 66% approval rating.A Republican legislative candidate aligning themselves with Armstrong is a savvy move.Heck, there are some Democratic legislative candidates who would probably be smart to tell voters about the areas where they agree with the governor.ADVERTISEMENT But to see elements of the populist faction — a faction which censured Armstrong twice when they captured control of the North Dakota Republican Party — now cynically try to ride his coattails into office is a bit much."It’s not that hard to be honest and instead you choose to deceive," Armstrong said when I reached him for comment about the flyer."You aren’t smarter than everyone else.Out of state dark money doing shady things is a story as old as time." The "out of state dark money" jab is a reference to Citizens Alliance, specifically, and it's something less than transparent campaign finance disclosures.Despite being very active in campaigns across the state, Citizens Alliance of North Dakota has reported very little activity in terms of revenues and expenditures in its state and federal reports.