Wayne Stenehjem

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Wayne Stenehjem
North Dakota Attorney General
Incumbent
Assumed office
2000
Current term ends
2010
Political party Republican
Website Official North Dakota Attorney General website

Contents

Wayne Stenehjem (born February 5, 1953, in Mohall, North Dakota) is the current Republican Attorney General of North Dakota. He is the brother of North Dakota State Senate Majority Leader, Bob Stenehjem.

Education

  • Graduated from Bismarck High School (1971)
  • Associate of Arts degree, Bismarck State College (1972)
  • Bachelor's degree, University of North Dakota (1974)
  • Juris Doctorate degree, University of North Dakota Law School (1977)

Professional experience

Immediately after graduating from law school, Stenehjem became a partner in the private practice law firm, Kuchara, Stenehjem and Walberg.

Political career

A year prior to receiving his law degree, Stenehjem was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives. He served in that position for two terms before becoming a member of the North Dakota Senate representing the 42nd District in 1980. In the twenty years in which he was a state senator, Stenehjem chaired the State Judiciary Committee and was present on the Budget Committee on Institutional Services as well as the committees for Criminal Justice and Legislative Council.

Political Issues

Healthcare reform

In the wake of the historic passage of President Barack Obama's health care reform legislation on Christmas Eve in 2009, Stenehjem announced that he was one of ten Republican Attorney Generals questioning not only the constitutionality of a specific controversial provision within the Senate version of the bill, but also exploring potential legal challenges to the measure as well. The North Dakota Attorney General said he was "participating in an inquiry about possible incentives offered to Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson to support a health care measure in the U.S. Senate." [1] The arrangement, which garnered Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid the necessary sixty votes needed to pass the measure, gave Nebraska exemption from its share of the Medicaid expansion, "a carve out that is expected to cost the federal government $100 million over 10 years." [2]

Other roles

  • Board of University and School Lands
  • Chair, Drug and Alcohol Commission
  • Advisory Board, Judicial Council and Pardon
  • Charter member, Pi Kappa Phi

Campaign contributions

2006 Race for Attorney General - Campaign Contributions
Total Raised $128,774
Total Raised by Primary Opponent N/A
Total Raised by Gen. Election Opponent $66,122
Top 5 Contributors Republican State Leadership Committee $25,000 (19.41% of Total)
North Dakota Lignite Council/Coal PAC $6,500 (5.05%)
Robert Mau $3,500 (2.72%)
North Dakota Association of Realtors/Realtors PAC $3,000 (2.33%)
Citigroup $2,500 (1.94%)
Other Notable Contributors Microsoft $1,000 (0.78%)
Individuals v. Institutions $32,060 (24.9%)
$37,451 (29.1%)
In v. Outside State $47,101 (36.6%)
$50,700 (39.4%)

Electoral history

2000

  • 2000 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary [3]
    • Wayne Stenehjem ran unopposed
2004 Race for Attorney General - General Election [4]
Candidates Percentage
Wayne Stenehjem (R) 55.7%
Glenn Pomeroy (D) 44.3%
Total votes 283,452

2004

  • 2004 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary [5]
    • Wayne Stenehjem ran unopposed
2004 Race for Attorney General - General Election [6]
Candidates Percentage
Wayne Stenehjem (R) 72.5%
Bruce Schoenwald (D) 27.5%
Total votes 301,395

2006

  • 2006 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary [7]
    • Wayne Stenehjem ran unopposed
2006 Race for Attorney General - General Election [8]
Candidates Percentage
Wayne Stenehjem (R) 68.9%
Bill Brudvik (D) 27.5%
Write Ins 0.6%
Total votes 215,226

Family life

Stenehjem currently resides in Grand Forks, North Dakota with his wife, Beth Bakke, and their son, Andrew.

Awards

  • Champion of the People's Right to Know Award (1979) from the Sigma Delta Chi Professional Journalists
  • Outstanding State Legislators (1982) from the National Assembly of Government Employees
  • Friend of Psychology Award (1990) from the North Dakota Association of Psychologists
  • Excellence in County Government Award (1991) from the North Dakota Association of Counties
  • Legislative Excellence Award (1995) from the North Dakota Bar Association

Contact Information

State Capitol
600 E. Boulevard Ave.
Dept. 125
Bismarck, ND 58505

Phone: 701 328-2210
Toll Free Phone: 800 366-6888
E-mail: ndag@state.nd.us

External links

References

  1. ↑ KXNet.com "ND attorney general questions bill's incentives" 22 Dec. 2009
  2. ↑ Politico "GOP AGs may sue over health bill" 24 Dec. 2009
  3. ↑ ND Secretary of State - 2000 Primary Election Results
  4. ↑ ND Secretary of State - 2000 General Election Results
  5. ↑ ND Secretary of State - 2004 Primary Election Results
  6. ↑ ND Secretary of State - 2004 General Election Results
  7. ↑ ND Secretary of State - 2006 Primary Election Results
  8. ↑ ND Secretary of State - 2006 General Election Results


Political offices
Preceded by
Heidi Heitkamp 		North Dakota Attorney General
2001–present 		Succeeded by
NA
v • d • e
State Attorneys General
   
Attorney General elections, 2010
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