Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Our Opinion / Family values candidate bets family on political future

Editorial | September 3rd, 2015


Two weeks in a row we’re reading about the unfolding race for governor in North Dakota. Little did we know when we mentioned Drew Wrigley as perceived heir apparent to the post, that in a matter of days his political world would be rocked big time.

Among most political pundits and even rank-and-file Republicans, it was a foregone conclusion that Lt. Gov. Wrigley would seek and likely get the party nod to replace Gov. Jack Dalrymple. That assumption can now safely be considered a stretch. Whether Wrigley can even stay in the race is now the topic on people’s minds.

Wrigley divulged to select GOP-friendly media this week that a rumor about him having had an affair with a married woman was in fact the truth. This came after a blogger alluded to it online.

With the support of his wife, he admitted the affair.

We are not sure which the bigger political blunder is. The affair. Or going public with the media.

As a general rule, North Dakotans adhere to a live and let live philosophy. We typically do not want to know what goes on in the private lives of elected officials. We also don’t normally pummel politicians with attacks which are of an entirely personal nature.

Goodness knows, one could compile a list of politicians who purportedly have been indiscreet and whose personal behaviors and actions are not the most savory. Republican and Democrat alike.

Wrigley has presented himself as a family values leader. Untold thousands of people have heard that come through loud and clear in his speeches. Politically, he’s now attempting to resurrect his stature by doing the right thing by admitting wrong and displaying how he’s righted his ways.

What’s ultimately sad is that he has opted to air this publicly so as to try salvaging his hopes of being North Dakota’s next governor, with the visible support of his wife. Apart from the hypocrisy, his supposed family values now appear in a very different light, one unbecoming a governor, many may well conclude.

It’s unfortunate. And it’s sad Wrigley’s wife, children, siblings and family members have been dragged into the unseemly turn of events, and not only bear unnecessary public scrutiny but must also participate in re-aiming his political ship at the governor's office.

Coming clean in one’s heart is one thing. Unduly burdening the ones you love most is another. By doing so, it’s conceivable Wrigley misstepped not once, but twice. For a family values politician to bet his family on a political future is truly disheartening.

Media advisors and consultants often advise damage control. Telling all, baring oneself to the masses, showing repentance, getting professional counsel and help, and asking forgiveness are a formula that’s pretty much cookie cutter and rote.

Shooting oneself in the foot and bringing unwarranted harm to others is a risk when such political leaders try making amends. Whether Wrigley did the right thing by going public will be borne out in time, and now in the court of public opinion.

Our advice to Lt. Gov. Wrigley would have been to put this personal and private matter on the shelf and to genuinely and earnestly make his family and loved ones his highest priority. Success on the homefront makes a good foundation for success in the public arena.

His family should come first. That’s true family values. Wanting to become governor pales in that light.

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Fargo Park District will host the Kids Triathlon on Wednesday, July 9, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at Madison Park and Bicycle Playground, located at 3010 11th Avenue N.…

Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…

June 21, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 Broadway N., Fargo“We Watch Shudder,” Fargo’s favorite horror podcasters, bring on the darkness during the longest day of the year. The Darkest Day of Horror Film Festival features…

Fighting the good fightBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Over two thousand rallies took place nationwide June 14 as part of the “No Kings" protest. Ten of those protests were held in North Dakota, with thousands in attendance.…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWhy doesn’t the world require politicians to leave office at 60?Most of the leaders of countries, whether gods, fascists, democrats or socialists, are not doing very well these days. David Van…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com The weather warmed up quickly here in the upper Midwest this spring, sparking prime eating season. This means burger battles, food trucks and lake-season food travel. The 2025 Downtown Fargo Burger…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Filmmaker Matt Wolf, whose lovely “Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell” suggests he would be the perfect director to construct the definitive biographical account of the wholly…

By Deb Wallworkdwallwork@icloud.comI first met Catherine Mulligan at a party at her house. It was a small gathering, spontaneous, just a few people over for dinner. Directed toward a stack of plates and bowls and a big pot warming…

North Dakota play about mental health launches Midwest tour in AugustBy Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.com A new one-act play inspired by patients buried in the Old Cemetery at the Jamestown State Hospital will tour festivals in…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

The drug that keeps re-purposing itselfBy Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There is a drug that is getting a lot of attention nowadays all over the world. It has various commercial names (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), but…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…