Brandon Prichard

American politician (born 2001)
Brandon Prichard
Member of the North Dakota House of Representatives
from the 8th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 1, 2022
Personal details
Born (2001-05-29) May 29, 2001 (age 23)
Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Kathryn Schnaible
​
​
(m. 2023)​
Residence(s)Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Minnesota
WebsiteOfficial website

Brandon Prichard (born May 29, 2001) is an American politician and member of the North Dakota House of Representatives for the Republican Party representing District 8 which encompasses parts of Bismarck and Linton. He assumed office in 2023. Prichard is among the youngest state legislators in the United States.

Noted for his far-right views, Prichard has been described as a key member of "a new generation of MAGA-aligned activists" in North Dakota politics, contrasted with traditionally conservative state Republicans. His election was therefore seen as a bellwether for the future of the North Dakota Republican Party.[1]

Early life and education

Prichard was born May 29, 2001, in Bismarck, North Dakota. He is a fifth generation North Dakotan. In 2019, Prichard graduated from St. Mary's Central High School, where he won three state championships in speech and debate.[citation needed] He was also selected as a delegate to the United States Senate Youth Program in 2018.[citation needed]

Prichard graduated from the University of Minnesota, where he claims to have "quadruple majored" in history, philosophy, political science and religious studies, along with minors in Islamic studies and Asian/Middle Eastern studies.[2] He also claimed to have continued his education at the University of Minnesota Law School and School of Public Policy "on a part-time and virtual basis,"[3] which a spokesperson for the school confirmed was not possible.[2] After his academic background began raising questions in the local media,[2] Prichard attempted to negotiate with a journalist from The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead to provide evidence of his educational attainment in exchange for modifications to a different story about him.[4]

In October 2023, Prichard mentioned being a law student while making an argument on the House floor, prompting the University of Minnesota Law School to confirm via social media that he was not enrolled at the school. Prichard responded by accusing the school of having an "anti-Christian" bias and suggesting that he might sue for unspecified reasons.[5][6]

Politics

Prichard was elected in 2022 to serve District 8, which encompasses parts of Bismarck and Linton.[7]

In August 2022, Prichard was revealed to be a member of a Telegram group called the North Dakota Young Republicans which "frequently featured bigoted slurs and white supremacist tropes" in its messages between members, including personal attacks against gay public figures and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.[8]

In 2023, Prichard introduced HB1301 and HB1254 with Rep. Bill Tveit which sought to ban gender-affirming surgeries and medications for minors. HB1254 passed while HB1301 failed. Gender-affirming surgeries are now a Class B Felony in North Dakota.

In October 2023, over the course of several days, Prichard made a series of social media posts advocating for Christian nationalism,[9] specifically calling for enshrining Christian beliefs into state and federal constitutions.[10][11] He argued that "every conservative state should put into code that Jesus Christ is King and dedicate their state to Him" and that "Real conservatives will never put the constitution above natural law".[10] Prichard's tirade also included anti-LGBT rhetoric, writing in another post that "All schools should have LGBTQ history taught and lesson one should be Sodom and Gomorrah."[12]

Prichard received swift backlash for his comments. Former Republican U.S. Representative Joe Walsh responded by saying "Not in this country. Never. Our Constitution won’t allow it. And that’s a damn good thing. Shame on you."[10] Additionally, Freedom from Religion Foundation (FRRF) Action Fund president Annie Laurie Gaylor said in an open letter to Prichard: "As a state representative, your duty is to support the state and federal constitutions and to protect the rights of conscience of your constituents, not to promote your personal religious views, much less a Christian theocracy. Your oath of office has charged you with great responsibility over citizens, including those citizens who may not or do not share your personal religious viewpoints. You have shown that you are unfit for this responsibility." Prichard responded by posting "I will not listen to a godless out-of-state interest group like FFRF."[13]

In December 2023, in a since-deleted Tweet, Prichard criticized the newly-redesigned flag of Minnesota, remarking that the state allowed "baby-murder, gender mutilation of kids, and refugee camps in downtowns."[14]

In February 2024, Prichard was accused of diverting over $120,000 in political donations to the Citizens Alliance Political Action Committee, of which he served as the executive director of the North Dakota chapter, as well as himself.[15]

Heilman routinely shares, likes, and interacts with online content shared by far-right and white nationalist figures such as Vince Dao, Lauren Witzke, Kyle Clifton, and John Doyle.[16] He is also characterized by his frequent attacks on LGBT people.[10][12][16]

Personal life

On May 20, 2023, Prichard married Kathryn 'Katie' Schnaible, in Bismarck, North Dakota.[17][better source needed]

References

  1. ^ Port, Rob (May 15, 2024). "Port: Republican lawmakers slam colleague over 'misleading' and 'unethical' political ads". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024. (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b c Port, Rob (April 20, 2022). "Port: How can a legislative candidate serve central North Dakota and attend law school in Minnesota?". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  3. ^ Dura, Jack (February 15, 2022). "College student makes Bismarck-area House bid". The Bismarck Tribune. Archived from the original on August 20, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  4. ^ Port, Rob (January 24, 2023). "Port: State Rep. Brandon Prichard still refuses to provide specifics about his academic claims". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  5. ^ Patrice, Joe (October 19, 2023). "Lawmaker Cites 'Anti-Christian' Bias After Law School Points Out He Never Enrolled". Above the Law. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  6. ^ Port, Rob (October 9, 2023). "Port: Lawmaker accuses law school of anti-Christian bias after they confirm he's not an enrolled student". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  7. ^ Port, Rob (2022-04-20). "Port: How can a legislative candidate serve central North Dakota and attend law school in Minnesota?". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  8. ^ Port, Rob (August 19, 2022). "Republican message group posted slurs while candidates, activists, and elected officials looked on". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  9. ^ Mantyla, Kyle (October 11, 2023). "Brandon Prichard Insists He's Not a Christian Nationalist". Right Wing Watch. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d Badash, David (October 2, 2023). "ND Republican unleashes Christian nationalist rant calling for 'Christ is King' laws". AlterNet. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  11. ^ Port, Rob (October 2, 2023). "Port: North Dakota lawmaker goes on a vile homophobic tirade over the weekend". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2024. (subscription required)
  12. ^ a b Bollinger, Alex (October 2, 2023). "GOP lawmaker celebrates LGBTQ+ History Month with demand that schools teach "Sodom & Gomorrah"". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  13. ^ Fulton, Jacob (October 3, 2023). "Freedom from Religion Foundation calls for Bismarck lawmaker to apologize or resign". Bismarck Tribune.
  14. ^ @RealPrichard (December 16, 2023). "Minimalism has destroyed the Minnesota state flag. This is extremely disappointing, but it is what we should have expected out of a state that allows baby-murder, gender mutilation of kids, and refugee camps in downtowns" (Tweet). Archived from the original on December 17, 2023 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ Port, Rob (February 1, 2024). "Port: Lawmaker took thousands from colleagues for young Republican outreach, then used it for something else". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024. (subscription required)
  16. ^ a b "North Dakota Lawmakers Share Far-Right, White Nationalist Content On X". anarchistfederation.net. January 22, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  17. ^ https://www.theknot.com/us/katie-schnaible-and-brandon-prichard-may-2023