Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.

Governor of North Dakota

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
North Dakota Governor

Flag of North Dakota.png

General information
Office Type:  Partisan
Office website:  Official Link
Compensation:  $143,646
2023-25 FY Budget:  $5,324,075
Term limits:  Two terms
Structure
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:  North Dakota Constitution, Article V, Section I
Selection Method:  Elected
Current Officeholder(s)

Governor of North Dakota Kelly Armstrong
Republican Party
Assumed office: December 15, 2024

Elections
Next election:  November 7, 2028
Last election:  November 5, 2024
Other North Dakota Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission • Tax Commissioner

The Governor of the State of North Dakota is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in North Dakota. The Governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two terms.[1]

North Dakota has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

North Dakota has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

See also: North Dakota State Legislature, North Dakota House of Representatives, North Dakota State Senate

Current officeholder

The current Governor of North Dakota is Kelly Armstrong (R). Armstrong assumed office in 2024.

Authority

The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article V, the Executive Department.

Under Article V, Section I:

The executive power is vested in the governor...[1]

Term Length

See also: North Dakota State and County Official Term Lengths, Initiative 5 (1964)

The four-year term length was established after an initiated constitutional amendment on the 1964 ballot was approved. Prior to this, the term length was two years.[2]

Qualifications

A candidate for governor must be:

  • at least 30 years old
  • a resident of North Dakota for at least five years
  • a duly registered elector of North Dakota[1]

Vacancies

See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled

Details of vacancies are addressed under Article V, Section 11.

The Lieutenant Governor succeeds to the office whenever the office is vacant for any reason.

If the Lieutenant Governor is unable to serve, the Secretary of State serves as Acting Governor until the vacancy is filled or until the governor's disability is removed.

Additionally, under Article V, Section 10, any governor who asks for or accepts any bribe automatically forfeits the office.

Elections

North Dakota state government organizational chart

North Dakota elects governors in the presidential elections, that is, in leap years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the fifteenth of December following an election.

If two candidates are tied after the general election, a special joint session of the legislature shall cast ballots to choose among the two candidates with the highest number of votes.[1]

Term limits

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits

North Dakota voters approved Constitutional Measure 1 in 2022, as an initiated constitutional amendment. The measure restricts the state governor to two terms in office during their lifetime. The amendment went into effect on January 1, 2023, and only applies to individuals after the effective date.

North Dakota Constitution, Article XV, Section 2

An individual shall not be elected to the office of governor more than twice. This provision shall not prevent the lieutenant governor from succeeding to the office of governor, nor prevent the secretary of state from acting as governor.[3]

Partisan composition

The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of North Dakota governors from 1992 to 2013.
Governor of North Dakota Partisanship.PNG

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
✔
Image of Kelly Armstrong
Kelly Armstrong (R)
 
68.3
 
247,056
Image of Merrill Piepkorn
Merrill Piepkorn (D)
 
26.0
 
94,043
Image of Michael Coachman
Michael Coachman (Independent)
 
5.6
 
20,322
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Eugene Dumont (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
0
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
530

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 361,951
Candidate Connection = 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 Governor of North Dakota

Merrill Piepkorn advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of North Dakota on June 11, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Merrill Piepkorn
Merrill Piepkorn
 
99.8
 
19,609
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
31

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 19,640
Candidate Connection = 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

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
✔
Image of Kelly Armstrong
Kelly Armstrong
 
72.7
 
68,152
Image of Tammy Miller
Tammy Miller
 
26.7
 
24,967
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.6
 
561

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 93,680
Candidate Connection = 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 gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020

General election

General election for Governor of North Dakota

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of North Dakota on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Doug Burgum
Doug Burgum (R)
 
65.8
 
235,629
Image of Shelley Lenz
Shelley Lenz (D)
 
25.4
 
90,925
Image of DuWayne Hendrickson
DuWayne Hendrickson (L)
 
3.9
 
13,833
Image of Michael Coachman
Michael Coachman (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
0
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Bruce Moe (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
0
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Jamie Brager (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
0
 Other/Write-in votes
 
4.9
 
17,472

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 357,859
Candidate Connection = 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 Governor of North Dakota

Shelley Lenz advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of North Dakota on June 9, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Shelley Lenz
Shelley Lenz
 
99.3
 
34,501
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.7
 
231

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 34,732
Candidate Connection = 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 Governor of North Dakota

Incumbent Doug Burgum defeated Michael Coachman in the Republican primary for Governor of North Dakota on June 9, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Doug Burgum
Doug Burgum
 
89.5
 
96,119
Image of Michael Coachman
Michael Coachman
 
10.2
 
10,904
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
356

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 107,379
Candidate Connection = 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.

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for Governor of North Dakota

DuWayne Hendrickson advanced from the Libertarian primary for Governor of North Dakota on June 9, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of DuWayne Hendrickson
DuWayne Hendrickson
 
77.6
 
705
 Other/Write-in votes
 
22.4
 
203

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 908
Candidate Connection = 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.

Past elections

Expand All
2016
2012
2008
2004
2000


Duties

The governor has the power to sign and veto laws, and to call the Legislative Assembly into emergency session. The governor is also chairperson of the North Dakota Industrial Commission. The governor is responsible for seeing that the state's laws are upheld.

The governor is commander-in-chief of the state's military forces, except when they are called into the service of the United States. The governor may prescribe the duties of the lieutenant governor. Additionally, the governor is responsible for presenting the state budget to the legislative assembly.

Other duties and privileges of the office include:

  • Seeing that business of the state is "well administered" (§ 7)
  • Addressing the legislature periodically on the state of North Dakota and making recommendations for legislation (§ 7)
  • Granting reprieves, pardons, and commutations and delegating that power within the confines of the law (§ 7)
  • Making vacancy appointments to all offices not otherwise provided for, with the consent of the Senate (§ 8)
  • Vetoing bills, subject to a two-thirds legislative override (§ 9)[1]

Divisions

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of North Dakota has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

State budget

Role in state budget

See also: North Dakota state budget and finances

The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[6]

  1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies between April and May of the year preceding the start of the new biennium.
  2. State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor between July and October.
  3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in December.
  4. The legislature typically adopts a budget in April. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The new biennium begins in July.

North Dakota is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[6][7]

The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the state legislature is required to pass a balanced budget.[6]

Governor's office budget

The budget for the Governor's office for the 2023-25 biennium was $5,324,075.[8]

Compensation

See also: Comparison of gubernatorial salaries and Compensation of state executive officers

The governor is legally entitled to an annual salary in accordance with Title 54 of the North Dakota Century Code. Taking into account value adjustments, the statute contains compensation figures for the previous and current year only.[9] The governor's pay may not be increased or diminished effective during the current term.

2023

In 2023, the officer's salary was $143,646, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $140,830, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]

2021

In 2021, the governor received a salary of $138,748, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]

2020

In 2020, the governor’s salary was $135,360, according to the Council of State Governments. Governor Doug Burgum (R) refused his salary.[13]

2019

In 2019, the governor’s salary was $129,096, according to the Council of State Governments. Governor Doug Burgum (R) refused his salary.[14]

2018

In 2018, the governor’s salary was $129,096, according to the Council of State Governments. Governor Doug Burgum (R) refused his salary.[15]

2017

In 2017, the governor’s salary was increased to $132,964, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]

2016

In 2016, the governor’s salary was increased to $129,096, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]

2015

In 2015, the governor’s salary was increased to $125,330, according to the Council of State Governments.[18]

2014

In 2014, the governor's salary was increased to $121,679, according to the Council of State Governments.[19]

2013

In 2013, the governor's salary was increased to $116,999.[20]

Historical officeholders

There have been 33 governors of North Dakota since 1889. Of the 32 officeholders, 16 were Republican, six Democratic, five Republican (Nonpartisan League), two Republican (Independent Voters Association), two Republican Organizing Committee, one Independent, and one Populist.[21]

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

Who Runs the States Project
See also: Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States and Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States, North Dakota
Partisan breakdown of the North Dakota governorship from 1992-2013

From 1992-2013, in North Dakota there were Democratic governors in office for the first year while there were Republican governors in office for the last 21 years. North Dakota is one of eight states that were run by a Republican governor for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013. North Dakota has been under Republican trifectas for the last 19 years.

Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82%) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27%) from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of North Dakota, the North Dakota State Senate and the North Dakota House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

Partisan composition of North Dakota state government(1992-2013).PNG

SQLI and partisanship

The chart below depicts the partisanship of North Dakota's state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. From 1995-2013 North Dakota had Republican trifectas. The state's lowest SQLI rating, finishing 30th, occurred from 1998-1999. In more recent years of the study, North Dakota's rankings improved, moving it into the top-10 from 2009-2012. Its best ranking, finishing 3rd, occurred in 2012.

Chart displaying the partisanship of North Dakota government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).

State profile

Demographic data for North Dakota
 North DakotaU.S.
Total population:756,835316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):69,0013,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:88.7%73.6%
Black/African American:1.6%12.6%
Asian:1.2%5.1%
Native American:5.3%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.2%3%
Hispanic/Latino:2.9%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:91.7%86.7%
College graduation rate:27.7%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$57,181$53,889
Persons below poverty level:12.2%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in North Dakota.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in North Dakota

North Dakota voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, four are located in North Dakota, accounting for 1.94 percent of the total pivot counties.[22]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. North Dakota had three Retained Pivot Counties, 1.66 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.

More North Dakota coverage on Ballotpedia

Contact information

North Dakota

Office of the Governor
State of North Dakota
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, North Dakota 58505-0001

  • Phone: 701.328.2200
  • Fax: 701.328.2205

See also

North Dakota State Executive Elections News and Analysis
Seal of North Dakota.png
StateExecLogo.png
Ballotpedia RSS.jpg
North Dakota State Executive Offices
North Dakota State Legislature
North Dakota Courts
2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016
North Dakota elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 North Dakota Legislative Branch, "Constitution," accessed January 18, 2021
  2. ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State Archived Election Results, "Primary Election Results - 1964," accessed January 18, 2021
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named con
  4. ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, ""Unofficial results, primary election,"" accessed June 12, 2012
  5. ↑ Bismark Tribune, "General Election Results," accessed November 6, 2012
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
  7. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
  8. ↑ North Dakota Legislature, "68th Legislative Assembly State Budget Actions for the 2023-25 Biennium," accessed December 6, 2023
  9. ↑ North Dakota Century Code "Governor-Title 54 Chapter 7," accessed January 18, 2021
  10. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
  11. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
  12. ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
  13. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 18, 2021
  14. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 18, 2021
  15. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 18, 2021
  16. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 18, 2021
  17. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed January 18, 2021
  18. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed January 18, 2021
  19. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 18, 2021
  20. ↑ Council of State Governments, "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries," June 25, 2013
  21. ↑ National Governors Association, "Former North Dakota Governors," accessed January 18, 2021
  22. ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
v • e
Governors
Current Governors
GovernorsLogo.jpg
Elections
2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010
Features


Flag of North Dakota
v • e
State of North Dakota
Bismarck (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Governor_of_North_Dakota&oldid=10413631"