Brandon Prichard

Brandon Prichard (born May 29, 2001) is an American politician and member of the North Dakota House of Representatives for the Republican Party representing District 8 which encompasses parts of Bismarck and Linton. He assumed office in 2022. Prichard is among the youngest state legislators in the United States.

Noted for his far-right views, Prichard has been described as a key member of "a new generation of MAGA-aligned activists" in North Dakota politics, contrasted with traditionally conservative state Republicans. His election was therefore seen as a bellwether for the future of the North Dakota Republican Party.

Prichard was born May 29, 2001, in Bismarck, North Dakota. He is a fifth generation North Dakotan. In 2019, Prichard graduated from St. Mary's Central High School, where he won three state championships in speech and debate.^{[citation needed]} He was also selected as a delegate to the United States Senate Youth Program in 2018.^{[citation needed]}

Prichard graduated from the University of Minnesota, where he claims to have "quadruple majored" in history, philosophy, political science and religious studies, along with minors in Islamic studies and Asian/Middle Eastern studies. He also claimed to have continued his education at the University of Minnesota Law School and School of Public Policy "on a part-time and virtual basis," which a spokesperson for the school confirmed was not possible. After his academic background began raising questions in the local media, Prichard attempted to negotiate with a journalist from The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead to provide evidence of his educational attainment in exchange for modifications to a different story about him.

In October 2023, Prichard mentioned being a law student while making an argument on the House floor, prompting the University of Minnesota Law School to confirm via social media that he was not enrolled at the school. Prichard responded by accusing the school of having an "anti-Christian" bias and suggesting that he might sue for unspecified reasons.

On February 15, 2022, Prichard announced his candidacy in the 2022 election to represent the 8th district in the North Dakota House of Representatives, defining himself as "unequivocally pro-life, pro-liberty, and pro-gun rights." He also emphasized a "return to pre-Covid normalcy," vowing to "protect individual choice" for decisions like masking and vaccines. Prichard was elected to the seat – which encompasses parts of Bismarck and Linton – later that year.

On December 21, 2023, Prichard announced his intention to run for reelection. He lost renomination in June 2024 by 4 percent, to his 2022 opponents SuAnn Olson and Mike Berg.

In August 2022, Prichard was revealed to be a member of a Telegram group called the North Dakota Young Republicans which "frequently featured bigoted slurs and white supremacist tropes" in its messages between members, including personal attacks against gay public figures and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.