Will Gardner was the Republican Party-endorsed candidate for North Dakota Secretary of State. He withdrew from the race after news surfaced of his arrest when he was 29 years old. He was cited for surreptitious intrusion – a sexual offense, but that was dropped to disorderly conduct in a plea deal.
A security guard saw Gardner, a university employee, peeping in several girl’s dormsHe was caught with his pants unzipped and his shirt pulled out, peeping in several girl’s dorm rooms. He called the police who also watched him peep several times before arresting him.
Gardner won the endorsement over the Republican incumbent Al Jaeger who was 74 and had served for more than two decades. When Gardner withdrew, Jaeger ran as an Independent and won another term. When Jaeger retired in 2033, he had served thirty years.
Regarding the peeping incident, Gardner said, “I messed up. It was stupid. I was young and immature.” He was twenty-nine.
- MPR News: North Dakota politician accused in peeping incident ends run for office
- KFYR: Republican party endorsed nominee for Secretary of State drops out of race
- Fargo Forum: ‘I messed up’: ND secretary of state hopeful confronts 2006 NDSU window-peeping incident
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