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Merrill Piepkorn
Merrill Piepkorn (Democratic Party) was a member of the North Dakota State Senate, representing District 44. He assumed office on December 1, 2016. He left office on December 1, 2024.
Piepkorn (Democratic Party) ran for election for Governor of North Dakota. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Merrill Piepkorn was born in Stanley, North Dakota. Piepkorn earned a high school diploma from Fargo North High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from the Concordia College and received additional education from River Basin Auction School. His career experience includes working as a radio broadcaster and North Dakota state senator.[1]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Piepkorn was assigned to the following committees:
2021-2022
Piepkorn was assigned to the following committees:
2019-2020
Piepkorn was assigned to the following committees:
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| North Dakota committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Agriculture |
| • Human Services |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2024
See also: North Dakota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2024
General election
General election for Governor of North Dakota
Kelly Armstrong defeated Merrill Piepkorn, Michael Coachman, and Eugene Dumont in the general election for Governor of North Dakota on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kelly Armstrong (R) | 68.3 | 247,056 |
 | Merrill Piepkorn (D) | 26.0 | 94,043 | |
 | Michael Coachman (Independent) | 5.6 | 20,322 | |
| Eugene Dumont (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 530 | ||
| Total votes: 361,951 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of North Dakota
Merrill Piepkorn advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of North Dakota on June 11, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Merrill Piepkorn | 99.8 | 19,609 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 31 | ||
| Total votes: 19,640 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Travis Hipsher (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of North Dakota
Kelly Armstrong defeated Tammy Miller in the Republican primary for Governor of North Dakota on June 11, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kelly Armstrong | 72.7 | 68,152 |
 | Tammy Miller | 26.7 | 24,967 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 561 | ||
| Total votes: 93,680 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Piepkorn in this election.
2022
See also: North Dakota State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for North Dakota State Senate District 44
Incumbent Merrill Piepkorn defeated Bjorn Altenburg in the general election for North Dakota State Senate District 44 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Merrill Piepkorn (D) | 62.2 | 2,731 |
 | Bjorn Altenburg (R) | 37.5 | 1,646 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 14 | ||
| Total votes: 4,391 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for North Dakota State Senate District 44
Incumbent Merrill Piepkorn advanced from the Democratic primary for North Dakota State Senate District 44 on June 14, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Merrill Piepkorn | 99.7 | 1,058 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 3 | ||
| Total votes: 1,061 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for North Dakota State Senate District 44
Bjorn Altenburg advanced from the Republican primary for North Dakota State Senate District 44 on June 14, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bjorn Altenburg | 99.3 | 755 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.7 | 5 | ||
| Total votes: 760 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
See also: North Dakota State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for North Dakota State Senate District 44
Incumbent Merrill Piepkorn defeated Tim Flakoll in the general election for North Dakota State Senate District 44 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Merrill Piepkorn (D) | 54.1 | 3,800 |
 | Tim Flakoll (R) | 45.7 | 3,209 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 13 | ||
| Total votes: 7,022 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for North Dakota State Senate District 44
Incumbent Merrill Piepkorn advanced from the Democratic primary for North Dakota State Senate District 44 on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Merrill Piepkorn | 99.7 | 1,430 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 4 | ||
| Total votes: 1,434 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for North Dakota State Senate District 44
Tim Flakoll advanced from the Republican primary for North Dakota State Senate District 44 on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tim Flakoll | 99.3 | 1,089 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.7 | 8 | ||
| Total votes: 1,097 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Elections for the North Dakota State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 14, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was April 11, 2016.
Merrill Piepkorn defeated incumbent Tim Flakoll in the North Dakota State Senate District 44 general election.[2][3]
| North Dakota State Senate, District 44 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Merrill Piepkorn |
50.98% | 3,733 | |
| Republican | Tim Flakoll Incumbent | 49.02% | 3,590 | |
| Total Votes | 7,323 | |||
| Source: North Dakota Secretary of State | ||||
Merrill Piepkorn ran unopposed in the North Dakota State Senate District 44 Democratic primary.[4][5]
| North Dakota State Senate, District 44 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Merrill Piepkorn (unopposed) | |
Incumbent Tim Flakoll ran unopposed in the North Dakota State Senate District 44 Republican primary.[4][5]
| North Dakota State Senate, District 44 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Tim Flakoll Incumbent (unopposed) | |
Campaign themes
2024
Campaign website
Merrill Piepkorn’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Supporting public education, our students, families, and educators — including school lunches for all of our students. Innovating solutions to quality childcare access for our working families. Providing tax relief — but not elimination — for property owners Supporting family farms and providing new agricultural markets Fighting for a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions concerning her body, and not penalizing the healthcare providers who support her Advocating for small business and Main Street Backing workforce development, including safety and wages Developing our energy resources wisely, while protecting the land Improving access to mental health services and drug and alcohol treatment [6] |
” |
| —Merrill Piepkorn’s campaign website (2024)[7] | ||
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Merrill Piepkorn did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Merrill Piepkorn did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Merrill Piepkorn did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Piepkorn's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[8]
| “ |
Crime and Safety:
Education
Property Taxes: Property taxes must be managed carefully to attract to young and new residents to our communities and to help keep retirees with fixed and limited income in their homes. Water Management: Investment in long-term water management is vital to protect and provide for our people. I support the FM diversion to keep our district and city safe. Healthcare: We must control costs while reducing complexity to provide affordable health and long-term care.[6] |
” |
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of North Dakota scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
In 2024, the North Dakota State Legislature was not in session.
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the North Dakota State Legislature was in session from January 3 to April 29.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the North Dakota State Legislature was not in session. |
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the North Dakota State Legislature was in session from January 5 to April 29.
|
2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2020, the North Dakota State Legislature was not in session. |
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2019, the North Dakota Legislative Assembly was in session from January 3 through April 26.
|
2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the North Dakota Legislative Assembly did not hold a regular session. |
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the 65th North Dakota Legislative Assembly was in session from January 3 through April 27.
|
2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2016, the North Dakota Legislative Assembly did not hold a regular session. |
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Merrill Piepkorn for Governor and Patrick Smith for Lieutenant Governor, "About Merrill," accessed June 11, 2024
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "2016 General Election Contest/Candidate List," accessed August 21, 2016
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Official Results General Election - November 8, 2016," accessed November 28, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 North Dakota Secretary of State, "2016 Primary Election Contest/Candidate List," accessed April 13, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 North Dakota Secretary of State, "Official Results Primary Election - June 14, 2016," accessed August 2, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Merrill Piepkorn’s campaign website, “Priorities,” accessed June 11, 2024
- ↑ Merrill Piepkorn, "District 44 Issues," accessed September 29, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tim Flakoll (R) |
North Dakota State Senate District 44 2016-2024 |
Succeeded by Joshua A. Boschee (D) |
 |
State of North Dakota Bismarck (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
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