Republican Senate candidate in ND can't name minimum wage

A Republican Senate candidate in North Dakota and his staff found themselves stumped recently by a voter who wanted to know the state's minimum wage.

A video of the exchange between Rep. Nick Berg (R-ND) and a young woman was posted by the North Dakota Democratic Party on Monday.

"I was wondering what is the minimum wage right now in North Dakota?" the woman asked.

"Hmm," Berg replied, pointing at a staffer and adding, "You know, this guy would know."

"I think it's probably seven something," the congressman guessed. "It depends -- they don’t have a minimum wage for waitresses in North Dakota."

Berg then posed the question to a staffer who only knew that it was "same as federal."

"Oh! Put it back on my shoulders!" the candidate exclaimed.

North Dakota is one of about 20 states where the minimum wage is the same as the federal minimum wage, currently $7.25.

As The Huffington Post's Amanda Terkel noted, Berg voted against raising North Dakota's minimum wage in 1999, 2005 and 2007 while he was serving as a state lawmaker.

The Center for Responsive Politics reported in 2010 that Berg had a maximum net worth of over $54 million, making him the 14th richest member of Congress.

Watch this video from the North Dakota Democratic Party, uploaded May 7, 2012.

Photo: bergfornorthdakota.com