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North Dakota Attorney General election, 2018 (June 12 Democratic primary)

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North Dakota Attorney General
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: April 9, 2018
Primary: June 12, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent(s):
Wayne Stenehjem (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: Open between 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.; close between 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Voting in North Dakota
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
North Dakota
executive elections
Attorney general

Secretary of state
Agriculture commissioner
Tax commissioner
Public service commissioner

A Democratic Party primary election took place on June 12, 2018, in North Dakota to determine which candidate would run as the party's nominee in the state's November 6, 2018, attorney general election.

For more information about attorney general elections in 2018, click here.

SETTING THE STAGE
  • Heading into the 2018 election, the attorney general was Wayne Stenehjem (R), who was first elected in 2000 and re-elected in 2004, 2006, 2010, and 2014. On February 5, 2018, Stenehjem announced that he would seek re-election.[1]
  • In 2018, North Dakota was under a Republican trifecta. It had held this status since the Republican Party gained a majority in the North Dakota State Senate in 1995. North Dakota was also under a Republican triplex.
  • In presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, North Dakota was won by the Republican candidate. The widest margin of victory was Donald Trump's 35.7 percent margin in 2016 while the narrowest was John McCain's 8.7 percent margin in 2008.

    • Candidates and election results

    David Thompson advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of North Dakota on June 12, 2018.

    Democratic primary election

    Democratic primary for Attorney General of North Dakota

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    ✔
    Image of David Thompson
    		David Thompson
     
    99.8
     
    		32,217
     Other/Write-in votes
     
    0.2
     
    		63

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

    		Total votes: 32,280
    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.

    Context of the 2018 election

    Past elections

    2014

    See also: North Dakota attorney general election, 2014

    Kiara Kraus-Parr was unopposed in the 2014 Democratic primary election.[2]

    Voter information

    How the primary works

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. A primary election is also sometimes used to choose convention delegates and party leaders; however, these selection processes can vary from state to state and party to party within a state. In North Dakota, precinct, district, and state party officials are selected at party caucuses and conventions, not at the state-administered primary election. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. North Dakota utilizes an open primary system, in which voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[3][4]

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    Poll times

    In North Dakota, voting hours at polling locations vary by county. According to statute, all polls must open between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. local time, and they must close between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. North Dakota is divided between the Central and Mountain time zones. Hours for specific polling places are available online through the state's Polling Place Search. A voter who is standing in line at the time the polls close will be allowed to vote.[5][6]

    Registration requirements

    Check your voter information here.

    North Dakota is the only state that does not require voter registration.[7][8]

    “ Although North Dakota was one of the first states to adopt voter registration prior to the turn of the century, it abolished it in 1951. It is also worth noting that North Dakota law still provides cities with the ability to register voters for city elections.


    North Dakota is a rural state and its communities maintain close ties and networks. North Dakota's system of voting, and lack of voter registration, is rooted in its rural character by providing small precincts. Establishing relatively small precincts is intended to ensure that election boards know the voters who come to the polls to vote on Election Day and can easily detect those who should not be voting in the precinct.[7][9]

    		”
    —North Dakota Secretary of State

    Voter ID requirements

    North Dakota requires voters to present identification while voting. Identification must include the voter’s name, current North Dakota residential address, and date of birth.[10]

    Acceptable forms of voter identification include:

    • Driver’s license
    • Nondriver’s identification card
    • Tribal government-issued identification (including those issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for a tribe located in North Dakota, any other tribal agency or entity, or any other document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)
    • Long-term care identification certificate (provided by North Dakota facility)

    If a voter does not have a form of identification that includes his or her current North Dakota residential address or date of birth, the voter can present the following supplemental documents:

    • Current utility bill
    • Current bank statement
    • Check or a document issued by a federal, state, local, or tribal government (including those issued by BIA for a tribe located in North Dakota, any other tribal agency or entity, or any other document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)
    • Paycheck
    • Student photo ID card from a North Dakota institution containing the student's photograph and legal name. A printed document on school letterhead containing the student’s name, address, and date of birth must also be presented.
    • North Dakota residents living outside of the United States can submit a U.S. Passport or Military ID if they do not have another valid form of identification.

    According to the secretary of state's office, "An applicant without an acceptable form of identification may use an attester. The attester must provide his or her name, North Dakota driver’s license, nondriver’s, or tribal identification number, and sign the absentee/mail ballot application form to attest to the applicant’s North Dakota residency and voting eligibility."[10]

    Voters who cast absentee/mail-in ballot must include a valid form of identification with their ballot. A voter who has a disability that prevents them from leaving his or her home and is unable to obtain a valid form of identification "must provide his or her name, North Dakota driver’s license, nondriver’s, or tribal identification number, and sign the absentee/mail ballot application form to attest to the applicant’s North Dakota residency and voting eligibility."[10]

    Early voting

    North Dakota law permits counties to establish early voting.[11] As of October 2024, seven of North Dakota's 53 counties offered early voting. Together, these counties contained 76 of the state's 175 Election Day polling places.[12] Learn more by visiting this website.

    Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting

    All voters are eligible to vote absentee in North Dakota. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[4][13]

    There is no specific deadline for applying for an absentee ballot. The completed ballot must be received by the appropriate election official by the close of polls on Election Day.[13][14]


    State overview

    Partisan control

    This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in North Dakota heading into the 2018 elections.

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

    • As of September 2018, Republicans held nine of 10 state executive positions, with the tenth held by a nonpartisan official.
    • The governor of North Dakota was Republican Doug Burgum. Burgum won election in 2016.

    State legislature

    Trifecta status

    • North Dakota was a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party held the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature.

    2018 elections

    See also: North Dakota elections, 2018

    North Dakota held elections for the following positions in 2018:

    Demographics

    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.

    As of July 2016, North Dakota's three largest cities were Fargo (pop. est. 120,000), Bismarck (pop. est. 73,000), and Grand Forks (pop. est. 57,000).[15]

    State election history

    This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in North Dakota from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the North Dakota Secretary of State.

    Historical elections

    Presidential elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the presidential election in North Dakota every year from 2000 to 2016.

    Election results (President of the United States), North Dakota 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Republican Party Donald Trump 63.0% Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 27.2% 35.8%
    2012 Republican Party Mitt Romney 58.3% Democratic Party Barack Obama 38.7% 19.6%
    2008 Republican Party John McCain 53.3% Democratic Party Barack Obama 44.6% 8.7%
    2004 Republican Party George W. Bush 62.9% Democratic Party John Kerry 35.5% 27.4%
    2000 Republican Party George W. Bush 60.7% Democratic Party Al Gore 33.1% 27.6%

    U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in North Dakota from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

    Election results (U.S. Senator), North Dakota 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Republican Party John Hoeven 78.5% Democratic Party Eliot Glassheim 17.0% 61.5%
    2012 Democratic Party Heidi Heitkamp 50.2% Republican Party Rick Berg 49.3% 0.9%
    2010 Republican Party John Hoeven 76.1% Democratic Party Tracy Potter 22.2% 53.9%
    2006 Democratic Party Kent Conrad 68.8% Republican Party Dwight Grotberg 29.5% 39.3%
    2004 Democratic Party Byron Dorgan 68.3% Republican Party Mike Liffrig 31.7% 36.6%
    2000 Democratic Party Kent Conrad 61.4% Republican Party Duane Sand 38.6% 22.8%

    Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in North Dakota.

    Election results (Governor), North Dakota 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Republican Party Doug Burgum 76.5% Democratic Party Marvin Nelson 19.4% 57.1%
    2012 Republican Party Jack Dalrymple 63.1% Democratic Party Ryan Taylor 34.3% 28.8%
    2008 Republican Party John Hoeven 74.4% Democratic Party Tim Mathern 23.5% 50.9%
    2004 Republican Party John Hoeven 71.3% Democratic Party Joe Satrom 27.4% 43.9%
    2000 Republican Party John Hoeven 55.0% Democratic Party Heidi Heitkamp 45.0% 10.0%

    Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent North Dakota in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

    Congressional delegation, North Dakota 2000-2016
    Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
    2016 Republican Party 1 100.0% Democratic Party 0 0.0% R+1
    2014 Republican Party 1 100.0% Democratic Party 0 0.0% R+1
    2012 Republican Party 1 100.0% Democratic Party 0 0.0% R+1
    2010 Republican Party 1 100.0% Democratic Party 0 0.0% R+1
    2008 Republican Party 0 0.0% Democratic Party 1 100.0% D+1
    2006 Republican Party 0 0.0% Democratic Party 1 100.0% D+1
    2004 Republican Party 0 0.0% Democratic Party 1 100.0% D+1
    2002 Republican Party 0 0.0% Democratic Party 1 100.0% D+1
    2000 Republican Party 0 0.0% Democratic Party 1 100.0% D+1

    Trifectas, 1992-2017

    A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

    North Dakota Party Control: 1992-2024
    No Democratic trifectas  •  Thirty-one years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
    Governor D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    Senate D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    House R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R


    Pivot Counties

    See also: Pivot Counties by state

    Six of 100 North Carolina counties—6 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

    Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
    County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
    Bladen County, North Carolina 9.39% 1.97% 2.07%
    Gates County, North Carolina 9.07% 4.11% 5.22%
    Granville County, North Carolina 2.49% 4.54% 6.58%
    Martin County, North Carolina 0.43% 4.65% 4.64%
    Richmond County, North Carolina 9.74% 2.95% 1.50%
    Robeson County, North Carolina 4.27% 17.41% 13.78%

    In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won North Carolina with 49.8 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 46.2 percent. In presidential elections between 1792 and 2016, North Carolina voted Democratic 53.5 percent of the time and Republican 25 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, North Carolina voted Republican all five times with the exception of the 2008 presidential election.[16]

    Presidential results by legislative district

    The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in North Carolina. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[17][18]

    In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 40 out of 120 state House districts in North Carolina with an average margin of victory of 38.3 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 44 out of 120 state House districts in North Carolina with an average margin of victory of 36.4 points. Clinton won three districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
    In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 80 out of 120 state House districts in North Carolina with an average margin of victory of 22.7 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 76 out of 120 state House districts in North Carolina with an average margin of victory of 27.7 points. Trump won five districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


    See also

    North Dakota government:

    Elections:

    Ballotpedia exclusives:

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ West Fargo Pioneer, "Stenehjem to seek re-election as ND attorney general," February 5, 2018
    2. ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Official Results Primary Election - June 10, 2014," June 25, 2014
    3. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 12, 2024
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Justia, "2023 North Dakota Century Code, CHAPTER 16.1-11 NOMINATIONS FOR OFFICE - PRIMARY ELECTION," accessed August 12, 2024 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "absentee" defined multiple times with different content
    5. ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Q: What are voting hours in North Dakota?" accessed August 12, 2024
    6. ↑ Justia, "2023 North Dakota Century Code, 16.1-01-03. Opening and closing of the polls," accessed August 14, 2024
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 North Dakota Secretary of State, “North Dakota….The Only State Without Voter Registration,” accessed April 24, 2023
    8. ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, “Voter Registration in North Dakota,” accessed August 12, 2024
    9. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 North Dakota Secretary of State, "ID Requirements for Voting," accessed August 12, 2024
    11. ↑ North Dakota Century Code, "CHAPTER 16.1-07 ABSENT VOTERS' BALLOTS AND ABSENTEE VOTING," accessed June 24, 2024
    12. ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Early Voting Available Counties," accessed October 28, 2024
    13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 North Dakota Secretary of State, "North Dakota Residents Choosing to Vote Absentee or by Mail," accessed August 12, 2024
    14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named hb1165
    15. ↑ North Dakota Demographics by Cubit, "North Dakota Cities by Population," accessed September 7, 2018
    16. ↑ 270towin.com, "North Carolina," accessed June 1, 2017
    17. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
    18. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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