Cramer to announce ND political plans

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer said he will announce Thursday whether he'll run for re-election — or for the U.S. House.

In a statement Monday, Cramer said he was planning news conferences Thursday to discuss his plans.

In an interview, Cramer said he would be running for ``an office that I've run for before.' Cramer ran twice against incumbent Democratic Rep. Earl Pomeroy in the 1990s.

The 48-year-old Cramer was elected to the PSC in 2004 after Gov. John Hoeven appointed him to the regulatory board the previous year.

Bismarck insurance agent Paul Schaffner is the only declared North Dakota Republican candidate for the U.S. House so far. Pomeroy is running for his 10th term.

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