Brandon Prichard
Brandon Prichard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the North Dakota House of Representatives from the 8th district | |
| Assumed office December 1, 2022 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Brandon Prichard May 29, 2001 Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Kathryn Schnaible
(m. 2023) |
| Residence(s) | Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S. |
| Education | St. Mary's Central High School |
| Alma mater | University of Minnesota |
| Website | Official 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.[1][2] Prichard is among the youngest state legislators in the United States.
Early life and education[edit]
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. He was also selected as a delegate to the United States Senate Youth Program in 2018. Prichard studied history, philosophy, political science and religious studies at the University of Minnesota graduating in 2023. In 2022, he was a finalist for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship.
Politics[edit]
Prichard was elected in 2022 to serve District 8, which encompasses parts of Bismarck and Linton.[3]
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, Prichard posted a series of social media posts calling for enshrining Christian beliefs into state and federal constitutions. Freedom from Religion Foundation Action Fund President Annie Laurie Gaylor said in an open letter to Prichard that "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."[4]
Personal life[edit]
On May 20, 2023, Prichard married Kathryn 'Katie' Schnaible, in Bismarck, North Dakota.[5][6]
References[edit]
- ^ "Brandon Prichard | North Dakota Legislative Branch". www.ndlegis.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
- ^ "Brandon Prichard". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
- ^ Port, Rob (2022-04-20). "Port: How can a legislative candidate serve central North Dakota and attend law school in Minnesota?". InForum. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
- ^ Fulton, Jacob (October 3, 2023). "Freedom from Religion Foundation calls for Bismarck lawmaker to apologize or resign". Bismarck Tribune.
- ^ "RegistryFinder.com". registryfinder.com. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
- ^ https://www.theknot.com/us/katie-schnaible-and-brandon-prichard-may-2023