Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
Ray Holmberg
Ray Holmberg (Republican Party) was a member of the North Dakota State Senate, representing District 17. He assumed office in 1976. He left office on June 1, 2022.
Holmberg (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the North Dakota State Senate to represent District 17. He won in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Holmberg resigned from the North Dakota State Senate on June 1, 2022 following a report that he had exchanged text messages with a man jailed for child pornography charges.[1]
Biography
Holmberg's professional experience includes working as a counselor for the Grand Forks Public Schools. He has served in the United States Air Force Reserve.[2]
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.
2021-2022
Holmberg was assigned to the following committees:
2019-2020
Holmberg 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 |
|---|
| • Appropriations, Chair |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Holmberg served on the following committees:
| North Dakota committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Appropriations, Chairman |
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Holmberg served on the following committees:
| North Dakota committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Holmberg served on these committees:
| North Dakota committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Holmberg served on these committees:
| North Dakota committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
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
2022
Ray Holmberg did not file to run for re-election.
2018
General election
General election for North Dakota State Senate District 17
Incumbent Ray Holmberg defeated Phyllis Johnson in the general election for North Dakota State Senate District 17 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ray Holmberg (R) | 59.0 | 5,176 |
| Phyllis Johnson (D) | 40.9 | 3,584 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 9 | ||
| Total votes: 8,769 | |||
 = 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 17
Phyllis Johnson advanced from the Democratic primary for North Dakota State Senate District 17 on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Phyllis Johnson | 100.0 | 1,127 | |
| Total votes: 1,127 | |||
| = 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 17
Incumbent Ray Holmberg advanced from the Republican primary for North Dakota State Senate District 17 on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ray Holmberg | 100.0 | 1,519 |
| Total votes: 1,519 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2014
Elections for the North Dakota State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 10, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 7, 2014. Incumbent Ray Holmberg was unopposed in the Republican primary and was unchallenged in the general election.[3][4][5]
2010
Holmberg won re-election to the North Dakota State Senate, defeating Thomas Petros (D) in the November 2 general election.[6] Horne was unopposed in the primary election on June 8, 2010.[7]
| North Dakota Senate General Election, District 17 (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
 Ray Holmberg (R)
|
4,088 | 67.91% | ||
| Thomas Petros (D) | 1,915 | 31.81% | ||
2006
On November 7, 2006, Holmberg was re-elected to the 17th District Seat in the North Dakota State Senate, besting Tom Lamb (D).[8] Holmberg raised $7,334 for his campaign, while Lamb raised $3,795.[9]
| North Dakota Senate, District 17 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Ray Holmberg (R)
|
3,105 | |||
| Tom Lamb (D) | 1,989 | |||
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.
Noteworthy events
Resignation from North Dakota State Senate, 2022
On April 15, 2022, the Forum of Fargo reported that Holmberg had exchanged text messages with Nicholas James Morgan-Derosier, who is facing felony charges of possession of child pornography, receiving and distributing child pornography, and transporting minors with the intent of engaging in illicit sexual activity. Holmberg later told Forum of Fargo that the text messages were related to landscaping work Morgan-Derosier had done for Holmberg and that he no longer possesses the text messages. On April 25, 2022, Holmberg announced that he would resign from the state Senate effective June 1, 2022.[10]
On October 26, 2023, Holmberg was indicted on charges of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity, and receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography. Holmberg pleaded not guilty to the charges. His trial is scheduled to begin on December 5, 2023. [11]
On August 8, 2024, Holmberg pleaded guilty to a charge of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors would move to dismiss additional charges of receipt and attempted receipt of child sexual abuse material.[12]
On March 26, 2025, Holmberg was sentenced to 10 years in prison.[13]
|
|---|
| Coronavirus pandemic |
| Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.
|
On December 10, 2020, Holmberg announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus.[14]
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.
2022
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]. |
|---|
|
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]. |
|---|
|
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]. |
|---|
|
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]. |
|---|
|
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]. |
|---|
|
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]. |
|---|
|
In 2016, the North Dakota Legislative Assembly did not hold a regular session. |
2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2015, the 64th North Dakota Legislative Assembly was in session from January 6 through April 29.
|
2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2014, the North Dakota Legislative Assembly did not hold a regular session. |
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2013, the 63rd North Dakota Legislative Assembly was in session from January 8 to May 4.
|
2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2012, the North Dakota Legislative Assembly did not hold a regular session. |
2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2011, the 62nd North Dakota Legislative Assembly was in regular session from January 4 through April 28. A special session was called by Governor Jack Dalrymple from November 7 through 12 to cover legislative redistricting and disaster relief.[15]
|
NDPC: North Dakota Legislative Review
The North Dakota Policy Council, a North Dakota-based nonprofit research organization which describes itself as "liberty-based", published the North Dakota Legislative Review, a comprehensive report on how state legislators voted during the 2011 legislative session. The scorecard seeks to show how North Dakota legislators voted on the principles the Council seeks to promote. The Council recorded and scored votes on both spending bills and policy bills, and awarded points accordingly. Policy issues voted upon included income tax cuts, pension reform, and government transparency. On spending legislation, the Council accorded a percentage score based on how much spending the legislator voted against. On policy legislation, scores range from the highest score (100%) to the lowest (0%). A higher score indicates that the legislator voted more in favor of the values supported by the Council.[16] Holmberg received a score of 81.82% on policy legislation and voted against 2.44% of state spending. On policy, Holmberg was ranked 19th and on spending was ranked 30th, out of 46 Senate members evaluated for the study.[17]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Holmberg has two children and currently resides in Grand Forks, North Dakota.[2]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Ray + Holmberg + North + Dakota + Senate"
See also
- North Dakota State Senate
- Senate Committees
- North Dakota Legislative Assembly
- North Dakota state legislative districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Seattle Times, "N.D. Lawmaker Resigns After Revelation He Exchanged Texts with Jailed Child Pornography Suspect," accessed April 27, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 North Dakota Legislature, "Sen. Ray Holmberg," accessed June 22, 2015
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "2014 Primary Election Contest/Candidate List," accessed April 9, 2014
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Official Results Primary Election - June 10, 2014," accessed July 8, 2014
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Official General Election Results," accessed November 17, 2014
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "2010 General Election Results," accessed May 29, 2015
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "2010 Primary Election Results," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "2006 General election results," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "North Dakota Senate spending, 2006," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Seattle Times, "N.D. Lawmaker Resigns After Revelation He Exchanged Texts with Jailed Child Pornography Suspect," accessed April 27, 2022
- ↑ ‘’Associated Press, "Ex-North Dakota lawmaker charged with traveling for sex with minor, receiving child sex abuse images," October 30, 2023
- ↑ The Associated Press, "Powerful former North Dakota lawmaker pleads guilty to traveling to Europe to pay for sex with minor," accessed August 9, 2024
- ↑ North Dakota Monitor, “Former ND Sen. Ray Holmberg sentenced to 10 years in prison for sex crime" accessed March 28, 2025
- ↑ KVRR, "North Dakota state senator tests positive for COVID-19," December 10, 2020
- ↑ The Bismarck Tribune, "N.D. House leader: Special session starts Nov. 7," accessed September 15, 2011
- ↑ North Dakota Policy Council, "The North Dakota Legislative Review - 2011," accessed January 20, 2014
- ↑ North Dakota Policy Council, "2011 North Dakota Legislative Review Rankings," accessed January 26, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
North Dakota State Senate District 17 1976-2022 |
Succeeded by Jonathan Sickler (R) |
