The governor of North Dakota is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Dakota. The governor is the head of the executive branch of North Dakota's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws.
There have been 32 governors since North Dakota became a state, serving 33 distinct terms, with William Langer having been elected to multiple terms. The current officeholder is Republican Kelly Armstrong.
Governors
Dakota Territory was organized on March 2, 1861; on November 2, 1889, it was split into the states of North Dakota and South Dakota.
The Constitution of North Dakota originally provided for the election of a governor and lieutenant governor every two years, which was changed to four years in 1964. A limit of two terms was added in 2023. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected together on a ticket,ND Const. art. V, § 3 and should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.ND Const. art. V, § 11 The term of office begins on the December 15 following the election.ND Const. art. V, § 5
+ Governors of the State of North DakotaGovernorTerm in officePartyElectionLt. Governor1 John MillerNovember 20, 1889–January 7, 1891Republican1889 2Andrew H. BurkeJanuary 7, 1891North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1891 sess., 34, accessed May 30, 2023–January 4, 1893Republican18903Eli C. D. ShortridgeJanuary 4, 1893–January 9, 1895Populist18924Roger AllinJanuary 9, 1895North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1895 sess., 35, accessed May 30, 2023–January 7, 1897Republican18945Frank A. BriggsJanuary 7, 1897–August 9, 1898Republican18966Joseph M. DevineAugust 9, 1898–January 3, 1899RepublicanVacant7Frederick B. FancherJanuary 3, 1899–January 7, 1901Republican18988Frank WhiteJanuary 7, 1901–January 4, 1905Republican190019029Elmore Y. SarlesJanuary 4, 1905–January 9, 1907Republican190410John BurkeJanuary 9, 1907–January 8, 1913Democratic19061908191011L. B. HannaJanuary 8, 1913–January 3, 1917Republican1912191412Lynn FrazierJanuary 3, 1917–November 23, 1921Republican/Nonpartisan League19161918192013Ragnvald NestosNovember 23, 1921–January 7, 1925Republican/Independent Voters1921192214Arthur G. SorlieJanuary 7, 1925–August 28, 1928Republican/Nonpartisan League1924192615Walter MaddockAugust 28, 1928–January 9, 1929Republican/Nonpartisan LeagueVacant16George F. ShaferJanuary 9, 1929–January 4, 1933Republican/Independent Voters1928193017William LangerJanuary 4, 1933–July 19, 1934Republican/Nonpartisan League193218Ole H. OlsonJuly 19, 1934–January 7, 1935Republican/Nonpartisan LeagueVacant19Thomas H. MoodieJanuary 7, 1935–February 2, 1935Democratic193420Walter WelfordFebruary 2, 1935–January 6, 1937Republican/Nonpartisan LeagueVacant21William LangerJanuary 6, 1937–January 2, 1939Independent193622John MosesJanuary 2, 1939–January 2, 1945Democratic19381940194223Fred G. AandahlJanuary 2, 1945–January 3, 1951Republican19441946194824Norman BrunsdaleJanuary 3, 1951–January 7, 1957Republican19501952195425John E. DavisJanuary 7, 1957–January 3, 1961Republican1956195826William L. GuyJanuary 3, 1961–January 2, 1973Democratic–Nonpartisan League196019621964196827Arthur A. LinkJanuary 2, 1973–January 6, 1981Democratic–Nonpartisan League1972197628Allen I. OlsonJanuary 6, 1981–December 31, 1984Republican198029George A. SinnerJanuary 1, 1985–December 15, 1992Democratic–Nonpartisan League1984198830Ed SchaferDecember 15, 1992–December 15, 2000Republican1992199631John HoevenDecember 15, 2000–December 7, 2010Republican20002004200832Jack DalrympleDecember 7, 2010–December 15, 2016Republican201233Doug BurgumDecember 15, 2016–December 15, 2024Republican2016202034Kelly ArmstrongDecember 15, 2024–IncumbentRepublican2024
Electoral history (1950–) YearDemocratic–NPL nomineeRepublican nomineeIndependent candidateLibertarian nomineeOther candidateCandidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#% 1950 Clyde G. Byerly 61,950 33.71% Norman Brunsdale 121,822 66.29% – – – 1952 Ole C. Johnson 53,990 21.26% Norman Brunsdale 199,944 78.74% – – – 1954 Cornelius Bymers 69,248 35.79% Norman Brunsdale 124,253 64.21% – – – 1956 Wallace E. Warner 104,869 41.54% John E. Davis 147,566 58.46% – – – 1958 John F. Lord 98,763 46.90% John E. Davis 111,836 53.10% – – – 1960 William L. Guy 136,148 49.44% Clarence P. Dahl 122,486 44.48% Herschel Lashkowitz 16,741 6.08% – – 1962 William L. Guy 115,258 50.44% Mark Andrews 113,251 49.56% – – – 1964 William L. Guy 146,414 55.74% Donald M. Halcrow 116,247 44.26% – – – 1968 William L. Guy 135,955 54.82% Robert P. McCarney 108,382 43.70% 3,663 1.48% – – 1972 Arthur A. Link 143,899 51.04% Richard F. Larsen 138,032 48.96% – – – 1976 Arthur A. Link 153,309 51.58% Richard Elkin 138,321 46.53% – – 5,619 1.89% 1980 Arthur A. Link 140,391 46.39% Allen I. Olson 162,230 53.61% – – – 1984 George A. Sinner 173,922 55.32% Allen I. Olson 140,460 44.68% – – – 1988 George A. Sinner 179,094 59.88% Leon Malberg 119,986 40.12% – – – 1992 Nicholas Spaeth 123,845 40.62% Ed Schafer 176,398 57.86% Harley McClain 2,614 0.86% – Michael DuPaul 2,004 0.66% 1996 Lee Kaldor 89,349 33.81% Ed Schafer 174,937 66.19% – – – 2000 Heidi Heitkamp 130,144 44.97% John Hoeven 159,255 55.03% – – – 2004 Joe Satrom 84,877 27.39% John Hoeven 220,803 71.26% – Roland Riemers 4,193 1.35% – 2008 Tim Mathern 74,279 23.53% John Hoeven 235,009 74.44% DuWayne Hendrickson 6,404 2.03% – – 2012 Ryan Taylor 109,048 34.31% Jack Dalrymple 200,525 63.10% Paul Sorum 5,356 1.69% – Roland Riemers 2,618 0.82% 2016 Marvin Nelson 65,855 19.39% Doug Burgum 259,863 76.52% – Marty Riske 13,230 3.90% – 2020 Shelley Lenz 90,789 25.38% Doug Burgum 235,479 65.84% – DuWayne Hendrickson 13,853 3.87% – 2024 Merrill Piepkorn 94,043 25.98% 247,056 68.26% Michael Coachman 20,322 5.61% – –
See also Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#North Dakota List of North Dakota Legislative Assemblies
Notes
References General
Specific
External links Office of the Governor of North Dakota State Historical Society of North Dakota, North Dakota Governors