AP: “An effort to recall a Republican legislator largely over his vote to expel a fellow GOP lawmaker accused of sexually harassing women at the state Capitol is being viewed as a litmus test for party loyalty, the state GOP’s new chairman said. The move to recall Rep. Dwight Kiefert over his vote to oust former Rep. Luke Simons has fanned the flames of an intraparty fight that has a far-right faction seeking to control the party apparatus and replace Republicans they see as too moderate.”

“North Dakota Republicans wield supermajority control in the Legislature and hold every statewide office. The party, however, began splintering in the past decade with the emergence of the loosely organized Bastiat Caucus, fervent supporters of limited government spending, privacy, and gun rights. Simons, who was expelled by the House in March, was one. The caucus has said 30 legislators paid dues in 2019, though the membership has not been publicly disclosed. Mark Jendrysik, chairman of the University of North Dakota’s political science department, said ‘loyalty or purity tests’ aren’t unusual in states where a party has a strong majority. He said the Kiefert recall appears to be such a test. ‘If he is recalled, I really think it’s a warning to other representatives to pay attention to the more conservative’ faction of the party. Simons denied wrongdoing, complaining he wasn’t getting due process and was being targeted for his political ideology. Of 80 House Republicans, 55 voted to expel Simons. A few GOP lawmakers were formally condemned at the district level for backing the expulsion but Kiefert is the only one so far to face recall.”