David Andahl, farmer and businessman, died on October 5.
Washington:
A Republican candidate has been elected to the North Dakota state legislature, despite having died a month earlier from coronavirus, officials said on Wednesday.
David Andahl, farmer and businessman, died on October 5 at the age of 55 “after a short battle with COVID-19,” his family said on the Facebook page of his campaign for the local assembly .
“He has been a public servant for many years and looks forward to the opportunity to serve in the state legislature,” the family statement said.
This ambition was fulfilled posthumously when the former racing driver was elected to North Dakota’s 8th Congressional District with a third of the votes, winning the last race of his life.
Facing a deceased elected official, the rural northern state attorney general said the situation would be treated the same as a resigning or retiring lawmaker, and the local Republican Party would appoint a replacement.
It was not the first time in recent US history that a dead candidate won an election. In 2018, well-known brothel owner Dennis Hof was elected to the Nevada assembly on the Republican ticket a few weeks after his death.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
