Perry Schmacher -The 7-to-3 Problem: When Voters Are More Conservative Than Their Reps

In this hard-hitting episode of Open Range, host Perry Schumacher sits down with Doug Sharbono, District 11 Republican Chair from Fargo, for an unflinching conversation about the state of conservatism in North Dakota and America Sharbono delivers a sobering assessment: while North Dakota citizens rate at a 7/10 on conservatism, their Republican legislators score just a 3/10. He argues that many GOP legislators use the party label as "convenience for power" rather than genuine commitment to platform values. District 11 faces a unique challenge—three Democratic legislators in an otherwise Republican-dominated state—and Sharbono outlines his strategy to flip these seats with authentic conservative candidates. The conversation expands to national concerns, including the Minneapolis ICE shooting and organized protests. Sharbono frames the conflict as fundamentally religious: "Someone must always rule and something will always be worshiped." He advocates cutting taxpayer funding that fuels left-wing activism, arguing conservatives can't match the left's professional protest infrastructure while working full-time jobs.Economic anxiety dominates the second half. With median homeownership age now at 59 and 71% of realtors selling zero homes in 2024, Sharbono warns that the American Dream is slipping away from young people. He blames excessive regulation, money printing, and government growth for creating an affordability crisis. The episode concludes with sharp criticism of Congress, which passed only 47 bills in 2025. Both hosts question whether establishment Republicans are intentionally stalling Trump's agenda, with Sharbono calling out legislators who criticized Trump in 2021 but now claim to be "MAGA."This episode offers unvarnished perspectives on party loyalty, generational wealth transfer, and the widening gap between voters and their representatives. #northdakota #conservative #GOP #liberal #Republican