Does Mac Schneider long for North Dakota's House seat? Not at all, the 2018 candidate says

Feb. 17—GRAND FORKS — In 2018, two political up-and-comers met in an election that would decide who would hold North Dakota's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Republican Kelly Armstrong and Democrat Mac Schneider came from differing political parties, but still had much in common: Both are UND graduates, both are lawyers, both cut their political teeth in the Legislature, and both were rising leaders in their respective parties.

In addition, they were good friends, despite their rivalry that year — one that included a number of face-to-face debates.

Armstrong won the 2018 election with 60% of the vote. In the years since, he has won reelection twice. Now, he has decided to forgo another term in the House and instead run for North Dakota's open governor seat.

Schneider, meanwhile, says he is perfectly content to step away from politics and focus

on his new job as United States attorney for North Dakota

. He took over the position in 2022.

"There is no job I would rather do in the world than United States attorney for the District of North Dakota," he recently told the Grand Forks Herald. "Every time my key card works and I get to go into the office in the morning, I get a silly-looking smile on my face. I do."

Armstrong's decision to run for governor has prompted a number of North Dakotans

to begin campaigns for what will be the open House seat

. Among them are declared candidates Rick Becker, of Bismarck; Tom Campbell, of Grafton; Julie Fedorchak, of Bismarck; and Trygve Hammer, of Minot. Fedorchak, Campbell and Becker are Republicans, while Hammer is a Democrat.

Schneider, who grew up in Fargo, lived in Grand Forks for a time but now lives in Fargo, has no interest in joining them.

"The short answer to your question is no," he said.

"I love working (in the U.S. Attorney's Office). I love the people I work with. I am so proud of the work those people do and I am thankful for the opportunity to get a chance to work alongside them. This is my dream job and I am sure that all 93 of my colleagues feel exactly the same way."

He stressed that his only interest at the moment is "helping the assistant United States attorneys and staff of the United States Attorney's Office do their jobs more effectively. This is the professional honor of a lifetime for me and I have loved every second of it."

He and Armstrong remain friends. During an interview last week with the Herald, Schneider recounted a time last summer when he had dinner with Armstrong and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland while the latter visited North Dakota.

"It was just a lot of fun, to be there with my friend Kelly and my boss, the US attorney general," Schneider said. "Life takes you to some pretty interesting places."