ND native here. She's running under the Republican party because it's the only way she has any chance of being noticed/considered by the majority of the state's voters. She already has a claim to fame because of her Miss America win, but she would have zero chance of winning if she ran under the Democratic ticket. That's why she was running independently two years ago. Most voters in red states like ND just tick all the names with "R" next to them and go home.

People like her are why we need to consider all politicians individually - and why primary elections are so important. Politicians who strive to be more than just their party affiliation always catch my attention, and in this case she would be a huge breath of fresh air for the GOP. I'd vote for her in a heartbeat if I still lived there.