North Dakota Supreme Court elections, 2026
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The terms of two North Dakota Supreme Court justices will expire on December 31, 2026. The two seats are up for nonpartisan election on November 3, 2026.
Judges with expiring terms
- This is a list of the justices who must stand for nonpartisan election in 2026 in order to remain on the bench. Justices may choose not to stand for election. The list is subject to change if justices retire or are appointed.
Candidates and results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
Douglas Bahr's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Jerod Tufte's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in North Dakota
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
About the North Dakota Supreme Court
- See also: North Dakota Supreme Court
The North Dakota Supreme Court is the court of last resort for the state of North Dakota. The five justices on the court are elected to 10-year terms in nonpartisan elections.[1]
Political composition
This is the political composition of the court heading into the 2026 election.
| ■ Daniel Crothers | Appointed by Gov. John Hoeven (R) in 2005 | |
| ■ Lisa Fair McEvers | Appointed by Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R) in 2014 | |
| ■ Jerod Tufte | Elected in 2016 | |
| ■ Jon Jay Jensen | Appointed by Gov. Doug Burgum (R) in 2017 | |
| ■ Douglas Bahr | Appointed by Gov. Doug Burgum (R) in 2023 |
Selection
The five justices of the North Dakota Supreme Court are chosen in nonpartisan elections. Judicial candidates compete in a primary election, and the top two candidates advance to the general election in November.[2] If a justice retires or dies in office, the governor may appoint a justice to the court for two years, when the appointed justice must then run in a nonpartisan election.[3]
Once elected, judges serve 10-year terms. At the expiration of a judge's term, he or she must run for re-election to remain on the court.[2]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
- a U.S. and state citizen and
- a licensed attorney.[2]
Chief justice
The court's chief justice is chosen by a vote of the supreme and district court judges to serve a five-year term.[2]
Vacancies
In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement with help from a judicial nominating commission. Alternatively, the governor may call a special election to fill the vacancy. Appointed judges are to serve for at least two years, after which they must run in the general election to finish the remainder of the unexpired term.[4] If a justice retires or dies in office, the governor may appoint a justice to the court for two years, when the appointed justice must then run in a nonpartisan election.[5] The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ North Dakota Courts, "A Historical Sketch of the Supreme Court of the Dakota Territory and North Dakota Supreme Court," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: North Dakota," accessed August 16, 2021
- ↑ State of North Dakota, "Supreme Court," accessed September 8, 2022
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: North Dakota," accessed August 16, 2021
- ↑ State of North Dakota, "Supreme Court," accessed September 8, 2022
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of North Dakota • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of North Dakota
State courts:
North Dakota Supreme Court • North Dakota Court of Appeals • North Dakota District Courts • North Dakota Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in North Dakota • North Dakota judicial elections • Judicial selection in North Dakota
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