Jeff Hoverson, a Minot pastor and businessman, has announced he will seek the Republican nomination to the North Dakota State House to represent District 3 in Minot.

District 3 Republicans will meet March 27 at 5:30 p.m. in Elevation at the Minot Country Club to endorse candidates. Rep. Roscoe Streyle, who represents District 3 in the House along with Rep. Andrew Maragos, is not seeking re-election. The Senate seat is held by Sen. Oley Larsen. All three are Republicans.

District 3 includes an eastern portion of Minot, Surrey, Logan and the rural area in Nedrose, Surrey, New Prairie and Sundre townships.

“First and foremost, my primary commitment is to foster the best possible place to raise and provide for a family,” said Hoverson. “Here in North Dakota, we have all of the ingredients to ensure we can continue to do just that. However, this requires the fearless conviction of leaders willing to take a stand to defend our state, our values and the great principles of our American Republic.”

Hoverson was raised in the small town of Dahlen in eastern North Dakota. He has 25 years of ministry experience and is currently a pastor at Living Word church in north Minot.

“I am deeply motivated by violations of religious freedom in America today,” Hoverson said. “Traditional values and common sense are under assault. I’d like to see property taxes at least capped or controlled in some manner. We also need further reductions in waste in the state budget, which has increased in size over 200 percent in recent years.”

Formerly a public school teacher, Hoverson, 54, is also a businessman operating a “LoVE Ice Cream” food truck business with his family. He enjoys studying American government and economics. Hoverson holds bachelor’s degree in education from Valley City State University, as well as a Master of Divinity from CLBA Seminary in Fergus Falls, Minn. He and his wife, JoAnn, have six children.

“Throughout human history, every nation that implodes does so through moral degradation,” Hoverson said. “This means the foundational unity of society – i.e., the family – breaks down. When our spiritual health as a society is weak, we lose the internal controls of self-responsibility.”