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Once, as a teenager, I discovered that a trusted publication had misled me with a story in their “That’s Outrageous!” section. That one betrayal led me to develop a rule: If it sounds outrageous, it’s probably not true. Haitian immigrants eating people’s pets in the Midwest?--probably (certainly, verifiably) not true. Women giving birth to babies and then conspiring with their doctor to kill that baby?--probably, definitely, one hundred percent not true.
Julie Fedorchak, my opponent, doesn’t let facts get in the way of fearmongering. She talks about ‘post-birth abortion’—a grotesque fabrication with no basis in medical science, designed purely to inflame the most radical elements of her base. It’s not just misleading rhetoric; it’s reckless and cruel. When you demonize healthcare providers and treat women as vessels for reproduction rather than human beings with rights, you endanger lives.
Last week, North Dakotans saw a rare win for reproductive freedom when a district judge struck down our state’s trigger abortion ban. It was a glimmer of hope in a landscape where rights are under constant siege. The ruling acknowledged what many of us already know—personal liberty, especially the right to make medical decisions about our own bodies, is a fundamental right, and that includes access to safe, legal abortion. But while we can breathe a sigh of relief today, the larger battle is far from over. This is just a pit stop on a much longer road.
The moment the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the anti-abortion movement faced a critical question: Does it actually care about reducing abortions, or is its aim simply to ban them? If the goal were truly to reduce abortions, they’d have done the hard work—investing in healthcare, education, contraception, and social programs. Instead, they’ve chosen the cynical path: banning abortions, putting childbearing women at greater risk, and creating care deserts across the country, especially here in North Dakota.
Since Roe’s demise, maternal mortality rates in the U.S. have skyrocketed —by far the worst of any industrialized nation. Over 80% of these deaths were preventable. In North Dakota, we’ve lost OB-GYNs, clinics, and healthcare professionals. And make no mistake, they aren’t coming back anytime soon. These draconian laws have driven providers out of our communities, leaving pregnant women in peril and their doctors stuck in an impossible moral bind.
What my state and our country need isn’t more political grandstanding. It needs healthcare. It needs the restoration of reproductive rights. And it needs leaders who recognize that government should not be dictating personal medical decisions. It’s time to codify abortion protections at the federal level so that no court case or rogue politician can strip away our rights again.
This is about more than abortion. It’s about freedom: the freedom to make decisions about our bodies without government interference, the freedom to access healthcare without fear of prosecution, the freedom to live in a state where we aren’t constantly looking over our shoulders, waiting for the next assault on our rights.
And that’s why I’m running for Congress. I’m running because I believe that the people of our great union deserve leaders who will fight for them, not strip away their freedoms. I’m running because I believe that if we don’t stand up now, the road ahead will only get darker.
But I can’t do this alone. I need your help. We’re in a neck-and-neck race against an extremist opponent who wants to take away your rights. Every dollar you donate brings us closer to restoring reproductive freedom—not just in North Dakota, but across the nation.
With the U.S. House seat open, the race for North Dakota’s sole congressional district has never been more competitive.
Trygve Hammer is a Navy and Marine Corps veteran, a former public school teacher, and a freight rail conductor. He was appointed to the Naval Academy from the fleet and served as a Marine helicopter pilot, forward air controller, and infantry officer.
From bunking down in oilfield camps to engaging uninterested teenagers in the classroom, Trygve’s career has been a tour of duty in the trenches of American life. Trygve’s commitment to public service is unwavering. He lives by the ethos “Officers Eat Last” and is ready to serve as North Dakota’s next Congressman, putting the people's needs first.
Watch Trygve’s campaign launch video here [ [link removed] ].
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