Becker is a plastic surgeon and businessman with several commercial developments. He was elected to represent District 7 in the North Dakota House in 2012, and was reelected to a four-year term in 2014.[4] Becker has often been described as a proponent of far-right politics, and was a founder of the ultraconservative Bastiat Caucus.[5][6][7][8] He was a candidate for Governor of North Dakota in the 2016 gubernatorial election.[9] He considered running in the run for the US Senate against incumbent Heidi Heitkamp, but ultimately decided against a run.[10] Becker has also held a position on the Bismarck Planning and Zoning Commission.
Becker was an independent candidate in the 2022 United States Senate election in North Dakota, after unsuccessfully challenging incumbent John Hoeven in the Republican primary, garnering 46% of the vote at the GOP convention.[11] He placed third in the general election, having received 18.5% of the vote.
Becker is often described as a conservative or libertarian. He has described himself as "...many things: a classical liberal, libertarian, fiscal conservative, laissez-faire capitalist. There are many things that you can refer to me as."[13] Becker has voluntarily requested officials to rescind[14] certain benefits and tax breaks his businesses are eligible for because he doesn't agree with them. In an interview, Becker stated, "I'm a very vocal opponent to most government incentive programs. I'm very much a believer in the free market."[15] In 2017, he said that North Dakota has too many colleges, saying the state board of higher education should look into "re-purposing some of the campuses."[16]
North Dakota House of Representatives
During his first session in 2013, Becker formed the ultraconservative Bastiat Caucus, named after the political philosopher Frédéric Bastiat. Eventually, the group grew to several dozen members of the North Dakota House, often holding regular meetings to organize a unified, conservative front on key votes.[11]
During the 2015 legislative session, Becker supported Division A of HB 1461, which would have pulled North Dakota out of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, generally seen as a move to get the state out of the Common Core standards. The bill narrowly failed.[17] Becker was the main force courting support for the bill, which GovernorJack Dalrymple, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler, and Republican Party leadership opposed.[18]
Becker supported a bill that would have brought the state income tax down to a 0% rate for an extended tax holiday for residents paying those taxes.[19] His bill to ban DUI checkpoints garnered significant controversy but ultimately failed.[citation needed]
In 2017, Becker and others decided to provide a more organized, public presence for their Bastiat Caucus in order to disseminate information to the public about key legislation from Caucus members.[20] This effort included an aggressive social media campaign, website and grassroots organizing headed by his former gubernatorial campaign staff.[21] Some in the media reported division amongst the ranks of the Republican Party and efforts by leadership to thwart Becker's legislative initiatives.[citation needed]
Becker introduced 17 bills during the 2017 legislative session, more than most representatives. His "constitutional carry" bill, which would allow otherwise law-abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons without a permit generated significant interest and attention.[22] He also introduced legislation on free speech protections on college campuses that would eliminate "safe spaces"[23] and a bill decriminalizing marijuana.[24] In the aftermath of the 2015 legislative battle over getting out of Common Core in North Dakota and an electoral challenge to Superintendent of Public Instruction, Kirsten Baesler,[25] Becker decided to put forward legislation to provide school choice in North Dakota. His bill, which would establish education savings accounts, was introduced.[26]
2016 gubernatorial campaign
Rick Becker on stage with his grandson at the March 3, 2016, gubernatorial debate in Bismarck, North Dakota.
On November 11, 2015, in an online video announcement, Becker became the first candidate to announce his candidacy in the 2016 gubernatorial election.[27] The campaign sought the endorsement of the Republican Party at its state convention, held in Fargo in April 2016. He publicly pledged to not proceed past the convention without support from the Party.[citation needed] Becker was endorsed by many of the top conservatives in the legislature, including Majority Caucus Leader Scott Louser. He was also endorsed by the National Association for Gun Rights and by Congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul.[28]
At the State Republican Convention, Becker came in second to Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem on a first and second ballot. Eventually, Stenehjem won in a close race over Becker. Doug Burgum, who came in a distant third at the convention, eventually defeated Stenehjem in the June 14 Republican primary.[29]
On January 19, 2022, Becker announced he would not run for reelection to the North Dakota House of Representatives.[30] On February 6, he announced he would primary incumbent U.S. Senator John Hoeven in the 2022 election.[31] Becker was defeated by Hoeven at the GOP convention on April 2, by a vote of 1,224 (54%) to 1,037 (46%).[32] Although Becker pledged at the convention to honor their decision, he subsequently changed his mind and re-entered the race as a conservative Independent candidate in August.[33]
Delegates to choose one, all candidates remain on ballot after first round, starting third round of voting, lowest vote-getter would be removed, first candidate to receive 50%+1 wins:
