Nervous put polished, Carol Christianson and Casey Skovran stood chatting near the entrance to Century High School on Saturday.

Both first-time Legislative candidates, they knew what was coming up: speeches before their peers, and hopefully the Democratic Party's nomination in their district.

"I hope we're going to get some good energy today, and hopefully bring it through the fall," said Skovran, 26, who stood out in a pinstriped suit and blue shirt and tie amid a crowd that was decidedly weekend casual.

"It should be a good day," said Christianson, 61, equally dressed to impress.

Such is the beginning of a ritual that marks the official kickoff to campaign season in North Dakota: the district convention. Every election year, politically active neighbors of each party meetup somewhere to select their area's legislative candidates and state convention delegates.

On Saturday, the Democratic Party held its district conventions in Bismarck and Minot. The Republican Party is holding various district conventions across the state between now and its state convention in Fargo at the end of March.

Some Republican conventions, such as the one in Bismarck's District 30, will be held after the state convention. Both parties will be posting details on their Web sites: www.ndgop.com for Republicans and www.demnpl.com for Democrats as they come available.

Derrick Braaten, a 28-year-old Bismarck lawyer, was one of the area residents who decided to spend part of his Saturday participating in a Democratic district convention.

He said it was important to be part of the political process on its ground level.

"I've always been interested in grass-roots efforts," he said. "This is one of those grass-roots efforts that can make things happen."

Along with his fellow participants, Braaten started the day in an auditorium where candidates for everything from Democratic National Committeman to governor took turns at the mic giving speeches.

"This is a celebration of the truest form of Democracy in the land," state Sen. Tracy Potter, D-Bismarck, told the crowd.

Gary Emineth, chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party, said his party's conventions are held to accomplish the same objectives. Although each district has its own rules, the vast majority encourage participation by any district resident that shows up.

"It's a very important process," he said. "We're working really hard to find those next great candidates in all the districts."

As Saturday's participants grouped off by district number, Skovran and Christianson followed their group into a home economics classroom. Flanked by ovens and classroom signs with messages like "Eat smart, play hard" and "Have the courage to be youself," 35 participants took their seats to select candidates.

After some struggle to make the citizens' meeting conform to the Roberts Rules of Order form it's supposed to take, the group voted on its candidates.

Skovran, Christianson and Chris Ebertz, an Army Reserve Major and railroad employee, got their legislative nods unopposed. All made speeches at the front of the room, clutching small pieces of paper and vowing to work hard to beat the Republicans in the fall.

This same district's convention on the Republican side offers a contested race to replace retiring state Rep. Ron Carlisle.

On April 7, retired career services educator Arnie Zent, pawn shop owner Georgia Couture and funeral home owner Mike Nathe will have to make their cases in front of a similar group of their peers.

Nathe said he was hoping to campaign with some fliers in the district to make people aware of his candidacy.

Couture and Zent said they'd be spreading the word among people they know - and potential supporters in the small conventions that serve as the official kickoff to big election year action.

(Reach reporter Jonathan Rivoli at 223-8482 or jonathan.rivoli@bismarcktribune.com.)