List of governors of North Dakota

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The governor of North Dakota is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Dakota. The governor is the head of the executive branch of North Dakota's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws.

Flag of the governor

There have been 32 governors since North Dakota became a state, serving 33 distinct terms, with William Langer having been elected to multiple terms. The current officeholder is Republican Kelly Armstrong.

Governors

For governors before statehood, see List of governors of Dakota Territory.

Dakota Territory was organized on March 2, 1861;[1] on November 2, 1889, it was split into the states of North Dakota and South Dakota.[2]

The Constitution of North Dakota originally provided for the election of a governor and lieutenant governor every two years, which was changed to four years in 1964.[3] A limit of two terms was added in 2023.[4] The governor and lieutenant governor are elected together on a ticket,[5] and should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.[6] The term of office begins on the December 15 following the election.[7]

More information No., Governor ...
Governors of the State of North Dakota
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor[a]
1   John Miller
(1843–1908)
[8][9]		 November 20, 1889[10]
–
January 7, 1891
(did not run)[8]		 Republican[11] 1889   Alfred Dickey
2 Andrew H. Burke
(1850–1918)
[12][13]		 January 7, 1891[14]
–
January 4, 1893
(lost election)		 Republican[11] 1890 Roger Allin
3 Eli C. D. Shortridge
(1830–1908)
[15][16]		 January 4, 1893[b]
–
January 9, 1895
(did not run)		 Populist[15] 1892 Elmer D. Wallace[c]
4 Roger Allin
(1848–1936)
[20][21]		 January 9, 1895[22]
–
January 7, 1897
(lost nomination)[23]		 Republican[11] 1894 John H. Worst
5 Frank A. Briggs
(1858–1898)
[24][25]		 January 7, 1897[d]
–
August 9, 1898
(died in office)		 Republican[11] 1896 Joseph M. Devine
6 Joseph M. Devine
(1861–1938)
[28][29]		 August 9, 1898[30]
–
January 3, 1899
(did not run)		 Republican[11] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
7 Frederick B. Fancher
(1852–1944)
[31][32]		 January 3, 1899[33]
–
January 7, 1901
(withdrew)[e]		 Republican[11] 1898 Joseph M. Devine
8 Frank White
(1856–1940)
[35][36]		 January 7, 1901[37]
–
January 4, 1905
(did not run)		 Republican[11] 1900 David Bartlett
1902
9 Elmore Y. Sarles
(1859–1929)
[38][39]		 January 4, 1905[40]
–
January 9, 1907
(lost election)		 Republican[11] 1904
10 John Burke
(1859–1937)
[41][42]		 January 9, 1907[43]
–
January 8, 1913
(did not run)		 Democratic[11] 1906 Robert S. Lewis
1908
1910 Usher L. Burdick
11 L. B. Hanna
(1861–1948)
[44][45]		 January 8, 1913[46]
–
January 3, 1917
(did not run)		 Republican[11] 1912 Anton Kraabel
1914 John H. Fraine
12 Lynn Frazier
(1874–1947)
[47][48]		 January 3, 1917[49]
–
November 23, 1921
(recalled)[f]		 Republican/
Nonpartisan League[47]		 1916 Anton Kraabel
1918 Howard R. Wood
1920
13 Ragnvald Nestos
(1877–1942)
[50][51]		 November 23, 1921[52]
–
January 7, 1925
(lost nomination)[50]		 Republican/
Independent Voters[50]		 1921
(recall)[f]
1922 Frank H. Hyland
14 Arthur G. Sorlie
(1874–1928)
[53][54]		 January 7, 1925[55]
–
August 28, 1928
(died in office)		 Republican/
Nonpartisan League[53]		 1924 Walter Maddock
1926
15 Walter Maddock
(1880–1951)
[56][57]		 August 28, 1928[58]
–
January 9, 1929
(lost election)		 Republican/
Nonpartisan League[56]		 Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
16 George F. Shafer
(1888–1948)
[59][60]		 January 9, 1929[61]
–
January 4, 1933
(did not run)[g]		 Republican/
Independent Voters[59]		 1928 John W. Carr
1930
17 William Langer
(1886–1959)
[62][63]		 January 4, 1933[h]
–
July 19, 1934
(removed)[i]		 Republican/
Nonpartisan League[62]		 1932 Ole H. Olson
18 Ole H. Olson
(1872–1954)
[68][69]		 July 19, 1934[i]
–
January 7, 1935
(did not run)		 Republican/
Nonpartisan League		 Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
19 Thomas H. Moodie
(1878–1948)
[70][71]		 January 7, 1935[72]
–
February 2, 1935
(removed)[j]		 Democratic[70] 1934 Walter Welford
20 Walter Welford
(1868–1952)
[73][74]		 February 2, 1935[75]
–
January 6, 1937
(lost election)		 Republican/
Nonpartisan League[73]		 Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
21 William Langer
(1886–1959)
[62][63]		 January 6, 1937[76]
–
January 2, 1939
(did not run)[k]		 Independent[62] 1936 Thorstein H. H. Thoresen
22 John Moses
(1885–1945)
[77][78]		 January 2, 1939[79]
–
January 2, 1945
(did not run)[l]		 Democratic[77] 1938 Jack A. Patterson
1940 Oscar W. Hagen
1942 Henry Holt
23 Fred G. Aandahl
(1897–1966)
[80][81]		 January 2, 1945[82]
–
January 3, 1951
(did not run)[m]		 Republican[80] 1944 Clarence P. Dahl
1946
1948
24 Norman Brunsdale
(1891–1978)
[83][84]		 January 3, 1951[85]
–
January 7, 1957
(did not run)		 Republican[83] 1950 Ray Schnell
1952 Clarence P. Dahl
1954
25 John E. Davis
(1913–1990)
[86][87]		 January 7, 1957[88]
–
January 3, 1961
(did not run)[n]		 Republican[86] 1956 Francis Clyde Duffy
1958 Clarence P. Dahl
26 William L. Guy
(1919–2013)
[89][90]		 January 3, 1961[91]
–
January 2, 1973
(did not run)[89]		 Democratic–
Nonpartisan League[89]		 1960 Orville W. Hagen
1962 Frank A. Wenstrom
1964 Charles Tighe
1968 Richard F. Larsen
27 Arthur A. Link
(1914–2010)
[92][93]		 January 2, 1973[94]
–
January 6, 1981
(lost election)		 Democratic–
Nonpartisan League[92]		 1972 Wayne Sanstead
1976
28 Allen I. Olson
(1938–2025)
[95]		 January 6, 1981[96]
–
December 31, 1984
(lost election)		 Republican[95] 1980 Ernest Sands
29 George A. Sinner
(1928–2018)
[97]		 January 1, 1985[o]
–
December 15, 1992
(did not run)		 Democratic–
Nonpartisan League[97]		 1984 Ruth Meiers
1988 Lloyd Omdahl
30 Ed Schafer
(b. 1946)
[100]		 December 15, 1992[101]
–
December 15, 2000
(did not run)		 Republican[100] 1992 Rosemarie Myrdal
1996
31 John Hoeven
(b. 1957)
[102]		 December 15, 2000[103]
–
December 7, 2010
(resigned)[p]		 Republican[102] 2000 Jack Dalrymple
2004
2008
32 Jack Dalrymple
(b. 1948)
[104]		 December 7, 2010[105]
–
December 15, 2016
(did not run)		 Republican[104] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Drew Wrigley
2012
33 Doug Burgum
(b. 1956)
[106]		 December 15, 2016[107]
–
December 15, 2024
(did not run)		 Republican[106] 2016 Brent Sanford
2020
Tammy Miller
34 Kelly Armstrong
(b. 1976)
[108]		 December 15, 2024[109]
–
Incumbent[q]		 Republican[108] 2024 Michelle Strinden
Close

Electoral history (1950–)

More information Year, Democratic–NPL nominee ...
Year Democratic–NPL nominee Republican nominee Independent candidate Libertarian nominee Other candidate
Candidate # % Candidate # % Candidate # % Candidate # % Candidate # %
1950 Clyde G. Byerly 61,950 33.71% Norman Brunsdale 121,822 66.29% – – –
1952 Ole C. Johnson 53,990 21.26% Norman Brunsdale 199,944 78.74% – – –
1954 Cornelius Bymers 69,248 35.79% Norman Brunsdale 124,253 64.21% – – –
1956 Wallace E. Warner 104,869 41.54% John E. Davis 147,566 58.46% – – –
1958 John F. Lord 98,763 46.90% John E. Davis 111,836 53.10% – – –
1960 William L. Guy 136,148 49.44% Clarence P. Dahl 122,486 44.48% Herschel Lashkowitz 16,741 6.08% – –
1962 William L. Guy 115,258 50.44% Mark Andrews 113,251 49.56% – – –
1964 William L. Guy 146,414 55.74% Donald M. Halcrow 116,247 44.26% – – –
1968 William L. Guy 135,955 54.82% Robert P. McCarney 108,382 43.70% Leo Landsberger
(Taxpayers Revival)		 3,663 1.48% – –
1972 Arthur A. Link 143,899 51.04% Richard F. Larsen 138,032 48.96% – – –
1976 Arthur A. Link 153,309 51.58% Richard Elkin 138,321 46.53% – – Martin K. Vaaler
(American)		 5,619 1.89%
1980 Arthur A. Link 140,391 46.39% Allen I. Olson 162,230 53.61% – – –
1984 George A. Sinner 173,922 55.32% Allen I. Olson 140,460 44.68% – – –
1988 George A. Sinner 179,094 59.88% Leon Malberg 119,986 40.12% – – –
1992 Nicholas Spaeth 123,845 40.62% Ed Schafer 176,398 57.86% Harley McClain 2,614 0.86% – Michael DuPaul 2,004 0.66%
1996 Lee Kaldor 89,349 33.81% Ed Schafer 174,937 66.19% – – –
2000 Heidi Heitkamp 130,144 44.97% John Hoeven 159,255 55.03% – – –
2004 Joe Satrom 84,877 27.39% John Hoeven 220,803 71.26% – Roland Riemers 4,193 1.35% –
2008 Tim Mathern 74,279 23.53% John Hoeven 235,009 74.44% DuWayne Hendrickson 6,404 2.03% – –
2012 Ryan Taylor 109,048 34.31% Jack Dalrymple 200,525 63.10% Paul Sorum 5,356 1.69% – Roland Riemers 2,618 0.82%
2016 Marvin Nelson 65,855 19.39% Doug Burgum 259,863 76.52% – Marty Riske 13,230 3.90% –
2020 Shelley Lenz 90,789 25.38% Doug Burgum 235,479 65.84% – DuWayne Hendrickson 13,853 3.87% –
2024 Merrill Piepkorn 94,043 25.98% Kelly Armstrong 247,056 68.26% Michael Coachman 20,322 5.61% – –
Close

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  2. [b]
    Sources disagree on when Shortridge took office; Sobel says January 2,[15] the State Historical Society says January 3,[17] one contemporary news source says Shortridge qualified on January 3,[18] and Shortridge delivered his inaugural address (dated January 3) to the legislature on January 4.[19]
  3. [c]
    Represented the Democratic-Independent Party
  4. [d]
    Sources disagree on when Briggs took office; Sobel says January 8,[24] the State Historical Society says January 6,[26] and a contemporary news source says he was sworn in on January 7,[27] which notes that inaugural proceedings were delayed by the death of Briggs' daughter.
  5. [e]
    Fancher was nominated by the Republican Party, but withdrew from the election due to health concerns.[34]
  6. [f]
    Frazier was recalled and Nestos elected to replace him in a special election.
  7. [g]
    Shafer instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination to the United States Senate.[59]
  8. [h]
    Sources disagree on when Langer took office; the State Historical Society says December 31, 1932,[64] but contemporary news indicates it was on January 4, 1933, the matter being complicated because Langer was ill and unable to attend..[65]
  9. [i]
    Langer was removed from office following his conviction of felony conspiracy to defraud the federal government; he was later cleared.[62] He was convicted on June 17 and Lieutenant Governor Ole H. Olson immediately moved to take over, receiving the oath of office.[66] The Supreme Court ruled Langer was ineligible on July 17, and Olson formally took office on July 19.[67]
  10. [j]
    The Supreme Court ruled that Moodie did not meet residency requirements to run for governor, and so removed him.[70]
  11. [k]
    Langer instead ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.[62]
  12. [l]
    Moses was instead elected to the United States Senate.[77]
  13. [m]
    Aandahl was instead elected to the United States House of Representatives.[80]
  14. [n]
    Davis instead ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.[86]
  15. [o]
    Sinner took the oath of office on December 31, so that he would become governor at midnight on January 1; Olson claimed that his term did not end until January 5, and refused to leave office. The Supreme Court ruled on January 4 that Sinner was governor, and had been since January 1.[98][99]
  16. [p]
    Hoeven resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.
  17. [q]
    Armstrong's term will expire on December 15, 2028.

References

External links

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