Lefor seeks re-election to state office

State Rep. Mike Lefor, District 37, is seeking re-election this November.

Lefor, DCI Credit Services Inc. president, was first elected to public office in 1986, serving on the Dickinson Park Board. He was elected five times and served as its president from 2006 to 2014.

Lefor has also served on the planning and zoning commission, 12 years on the hospital board, including six years as its chairman, and serves on the St. Alexius regional board in Bismarck.

He was elected to the North Dakota House in 2014, and has served two sessions.

"I truly enjoy serving our community," Lefor said. "I grew up here and I love the people here. I try to take the servant/leader approach to public service, meaning, make yourself last and make sure the things you're doing have a positive impact on people."

In the ND House, Lefor has worked to secure oil revenue tax funding for Dickinson.

The city received $22 million last biennium, and next biennium will receive $26 million or more, he said.

The school district receives an additional $4.7 million in oil impact dollars, he said, and $20 million goes to the local airport.

"Those dollars are all in one bill," he said.

A challenge for the state is meeting infrastructure needs while dealing with debt.

This is evident in Dickinson, he said, which brought its debt down from $110 million to $87 million.

"The original reason I ran for the House is because I didn't like my hometown having $100 million worth of debt," he said. "That's a very important thing to me."

Lefor said his highest priority is K-12 funding and funding for Dickinson State University.

He helped DSU launch a new Heritage Foundation and secured funds to eliminate debt for the Biesiot Activities Center.

"The governor is talking about a 10 percent cut, but that's the governor's recommendation," he said. "The governor has no authority to allocate dollars, only the legislature does that, and I can tell you I have no interest in cutting funding for DSU. Just the opposite."

Lefor wants the state to invest in DSU's efforts to become a polytechnic campus, which would offer two-year degrees and certificates, to better meet workforce needs.

"We have to have the proper training, proper education, of our young people in order to fill these jobs that are here," he said. "If we can get these young people to stay here, then they are paying sales tax, income tax, things like that, so it spurs and grows our economy."

Lefor also wants to see funds directed toward behavioral health.

"We're talking to some groups to locate regional addiction centers here in Dickinson. They've been here, and we are part of that discussion," he said. "Behavioral health is critical in this part of the world."

Funding for public safety and law enforcement is also needed, Lefor said.

"With the population growing as much as it is, law enforcement budgets are strained, and I'd like to see more dollars go to law enforcement, whether it's special drug agents or more police officers or highway patrol," he said. "We need to focus on that to keep our community safe."

Important next session will be funding for long-term care, Lefor said, as nursing homes in North Dakota are struggling.

"They're going to need more revenue in order to maintain and be able to have capital to improve their buildings and things like that," he said. "I'm concerned about those who are most vulnerable, the elderly."

Efforts to retain new families coming to the region, Lefor said, are better served as locally funded initiatives.

Local amenities and quality-of-life projects can be completed through city leadership and private funding, he argued.

"I'm a big believer in do-it-yourself," he said. "If you're in a small community and you've got a business that wants to move to town, but they need housing for people, call a developer, and say we'd like you to invest in our community, and then build two four-plexes and get it done."

He added, "It comes down to local businesses promoting what they've got."

Lefor advocated for voters keeping together State Sen. Rich Wardner, State Rep. Vicki Steiner and himself as a team.

"We form a tremendous team," he said. "We're not afraid to work hard, and people know if they're talking to us that we're going to be open, honest and transparent, and deal with them with a great deal of integrity and credibility."

The general election will be held on Nov. 6.