In a decisive Wednesday ruling, the North Dakota Supreme Court refused to intervene in a dispute over the legitimacy of four Republican legislative candidates. The justices determined that the petition challenging the candidates’ nominating petitions was filed too late to merit judicial review.

Petition details and plaintiffs

Republican activists Matthew Evans, Jeff Hoverson and Douglas Pearson submitted the petition in late August, alleging procedural errors in the filing of the candidates’ paperwork. The plaintiffs claimed that District 3 House candidates Tim Mihalick and Blaine DesLauriers, as well as District 7 candidate Steven Sauter, had missing addresses that were filled in by third parties. They also asserted that District 25 candidate Terry Goerger failed to indicate an official party affiliation on his filing.

The petition sought a court order that, should any of the four candidates win their races, their victories would be voided and the local party district committee would be required to name replacements.

Court’s reasoning

The justices noted that the petition was not presented to the Supreme Court until September 28, roughly a month after the deadline for candidates to correct their nominating petitions and after the general‑election ballot had already been certified. In the court’s view, the timing “disrupts an ongoing election, potentially confusing voters,” and the delayed filing would cause “substantial prejudice for the four candidates.”

Because the filing was untimely, the court declined to rule on the substantive claims about missing addresses or party designation.

Impact on the candidates

All four candidates remain on the ballot for the November general election. In the June primary, Jeff Hoverson lost to Tim Mihalick and Blaine DesLauriers, while Matthew Evans was defeated by Terry Goerger. Douglas Pearson serves on the executive committee of Steven Sauter’s district.

Two justices—Jerod Tufte and Douglas Bahr—who are themselves running for office were recused from the case and were replaced by surrogate justices William Neumann and David Reich.

Secretary of State’s role

The North Dakota Secretary of State’s office had declined to act on the petition earlier in the summer, leaving the matter to be resolved by the courts. With the Supreme Court’s decision, the matter is effectively closed, and the candidates will continue their campaigns without further judicial interference.

What voters should know

Voters in Districts 3, 7 and 25 can expect the same ballot line‑up they saw during the primary. The court’s ruling underscores the importance of meeting filing deadlines for nominating petitions, a procedural safeguard that helps maintain election integrity and prevents last‑minute challenges that could confuse the electorate.

Original reporting: KFYR-TV Bismarck (news) — read the source article.