ND Farm Bureau says it's 'lost confidence' in ag commissioner, backs challenger Estenson

Judy Estenson and her husband, Hal

With her husband Hal at her side, Judy Estenson announces her intentions to run for North Dakota commissioner of agriculture during a press conference at the Ramada Plaza Suites, Tuesday, January 4, 2014. Darren Gibbins / The Forum

Doug Goehring

BISMARCK The North Dakota Farm Bureau is supporting a challenger for the Republican endorsement for state agriculture commissioner, saying Tuesday it has lost confidence in incumbent Commissioner Doug Goehring one day after Goehring emailed supporters defending his record and explaining a politically incorrect statement he made to his staff.

Judy Estenson announced her candidacy at news conferences in Bismarck and Fargo, and a Farm Bureau official was on hand to distribute a statement explaining why it is supporting her over Goehring, a Farm Bureau member and former vice president of the organization.

Estenson will run as a Republican, setting up an intraparty challenge in the 2014 election as well as Goehrings fight with an organization that backed his campaign in 2010.

Goehring said in an interview Tuesday that while people have a right to challenge him for the endorsement, its unfortunate that its being done with innuendo and misrepresentation of the facts, untruths and character assassination.

It does hurt that theres a faction in Farm Bureau that I thought were my friends that did this, he said.

Public records show North Dakota Farm Bureau President Doyle Johannes requested state files involving sexual harassment claims and hostile workplace environment claims against Goehring.

Public records of the investigation show Goehring reportedly introduced one new female employee as a babe in the woods and referred to a group of women some of them employees as a harem. Both incidents happened in the summer of 2012.

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ND Farm Bureau says it's 'lost confidence' in ag commissioner, backs challenger Estenson