North Dakota lawmaker asked to resign following drunken driving arrest

December 27, 2023

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Republican leaders have called on a state lawmaker to resign after he railed against police with homophobic slurs, anti-migrant language and curses during a Dec. 15 traffic stop in which he was arrested for drunken driving.

Republican House Majority Leader Mike Lefor was joined by state GOP Chairwoman Sandi Sanford in his statement calling on Republican state Representative Nico Rios, of Williston, to resign.

Rios is charged with two misdemeanor counts for drunken driving and refusing to provide a chemical test in connection with the DUI stop.

He was elected last year to the state House of Representatives, and he sits on the House Judiciary Committee, a panel that handles law enforcement legislation.