The 2010 United States Senate election in North Dakota took place on November 2, 2010, alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan announced in January 2010 that he would not seek re-election, leading to the first open seat election since 1992. Governor John Hoeven won the seat in a landslide, taking 76.1% of the vote, sweeping every county in the state, and becoming North Dakota's first Republican senator since 1987. Hoeven's 54 point margin of victory was a dramatic and historic shift from the 2004 election for this seat, when Dorgan won in a 36-point landslide and himself swept every county.

Background Incumbent Byron Dorgan never had a difficult time getting elected, as he obtained 59%, 63%, and 68% in his three senate election bids, respectively. However, in December 2009, Rasmussen Reports conducted a hypothetical matchup of Governor John Hoeven against the incumbent. Hoeven led by a large margin, 58% to Dorgan's 36%. Polls showed that 61% of the state still had a favorable view of Dorgan, and if pitted against state senator Duane Sand, the incumbent led 52% to 37%.

Several prominent members of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party expressed an interest in the U.S. Senate race once Senator Dorgan announced that he would not run again. Among those people were Joel Heitkamp, a former North Dakota state senator and current radio talk show host of News and Views on KFGO in Fargo. His sister, former North Dakota attorney general Heidi Heitkamp of Bismarck, also considered running, but declined to enter the race as well. Heidi Heitkamp later held North Dakota’s other Senate seat from 2013 to 2019.

Others who had indicated an interest in the race were businesswoman Kristin Hedger and national progressive talk show host Ed Schultz. Hedger was the Democratic candidate for North Dakota secretary of state in the 2006 general election, which she lost to the incumbent, Republican Alvin Jaeger. While flattered to have been asked, Schultz said he had to decline since he would have been forced to give up his nightly television program on MSNBC The Ed Show as well as his daily progressive national radio show, The Ed Schultz Show, in order to run. Also, Federal Communications Commission regulations decree that equal and free air time would have had to be given to whoever Schultz's opponents would have been in the election in order to allow them to respond to anything that Schultz would have said about them on his programs.

Democratic-NPL primary Candidates Nominee Tracy Potter, state senator

Declined Byron Dorgan, incumbent U.S. Senator Kristin Hedger, manufacturing executive and nominee for North Dakota Secretary of State in 2006 Heidi Heitkamp, former North Dakota Attorney General and nominee for Governor of North Dakota in 2000 Ed Schultz, TV and radio talk show host

Results

Republican primary Candidates Nominee John Hoeven, Governor of North Dakota

Eliminated in primary Timothy Beattie

Results

Libertarian primary Candidates Nominee Keith Hanson, engineer

Results

General election Campaign Hoeven was challenged in the race by North Dakota state senator Tracy Potter of Bismarck. Potter received the endorsement of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party at its state convention on March 27, 2010. Governor Hoeven and Senator Potter advanced to the November 2, 2010 general election following balloting in North Dakota's primary election, which was held on June 8, 2010. Neither candidate faced any significant opposition in the primary election.

Aggregate polling throughout 2010 indicated that Hoeven had large double-digit leads against Potter. Hoeven was enormously popular and enjoyed instant name recognition throughout the state of North Dakota. Having won an unprecedented third consecutive four-year term as governor in November 2008, his election in 2010 to the U.S. Senate was all but certain.

John Hoeven was sworn into the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2011. As of 2026, 2010 is the last U.S. Senate race in North Dakota where any candidate won every county.

Predictions Source Ranking As of Cook Political Report October 26, 2010 Inside Elections October 22, 2010 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 21, 2010 RealClearPolitics October 26, 2010 CQ Politics October 26, 2010

Polling Poll source JohnHoeven (R) TracyPotter (D) Other Undecided Rasmussen Reports (report) February 9–10, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 71% 17% 4% 8% Rasmussen Reports (report) March 23, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 68% 25% 2% 5% Rasmussen Reports (report) April 20, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 69% 24% 2% 5% Rasmussen Reports (report) May 18–19, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 72% 23% 2% 3% Rasmussen Reports (report) June 15–16, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 73% 19% 2% 6% Rasmussen Reports (report) July 21, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 69% 22% 2% 7% Rasmussen Reports (report) August 10, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 69% 25% 1% 5% Rasmussen Reports (report) September 20–21, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 68% 25% 2% 5% Rasmussen Reports (report) October 20, 2010 500 ± 4.5% 72% 25% 0% 3%

Fundraising Candidate (party) Receipts Disbursements Cash on hand Debt John Hoeven (R) $3,419,202 $2,246,827 $1,172,375 $100,000 Tracy Potter (D) $117,739 $82,505 $35,332 $13,601 Source: Federal Election Commission

Results

Results by county CountyJohn HoevenRepublicanTracy Potter DemocraticAll OthersMarginTotal votes#%#%#%#%Adams96381.0%20116.9%252.1%76263.1%1,189Barnes3,53874.2%1,14023.9%871.8%2,39850.3%4,765Benson1,11562.7%62134.9%432.4%49427.8%1,779Billings44388.4%489.6%102.0%39578.8%501Bottineau2,42681.7%49716.7%481.6%1,92965.0%2,971Bowman1,23484.7%18412.6%392.7%1,05072.1%1,457Burke66784.4%11214.2%111.4%55572.2%790Burleigh25,42077.9%6,70520.5%5251.6%18,71557.4%32,650Cass34,88272.0%12,74326.3%8431.7%22,13945.7%48,468Cavalier1,50381.6%32217.5%160.9%1,18164.1%1,841Dickey1,63580.7%36418.0%281.4%1,27162.7%2,027Divide67674.9%21023.3%160.8%46651.6%902Dunn1,23679.5%29619.0%221.4%94060.5%1,554Eddy69568.9%28127.9%323.2%41442.0%1,008Emmons1,26280.8%25716.5%432.7%1,00564.3%1,562Foster1,16579.8%26518.2%302.1%90071.6%1,460Golden Valley64086.1%9112.2%121.6%54973.9%743Grand Forks14,98473.7%5,04924.8%2951.4%9,93548.9%20,328Grant94981.7%19516.8%171.5%75464.9%1,161Griggs84574.3%27424.1%191.7%57150.2%1,138Hettinger93480.1%20517.6%272.3%72962.5%1,166Kidder85774.1%26122.6%383.3%59651.5%1,156LaMoure1,61677.5%42620.4%442.1%1,19057.1%2,086Logan80082.7%14615.1%212.2%65467.6%967McHenry1,77475.9%51622.1%461.9%1,25853.8%2,336McIntosh1,16884.1%19714.2%241.8%97169.9%1,389McKenzie1,80382.9%34515.9%281.2%1,45867.0%2,176McLean3,03076.6%85921.7%681.7%2,17154.9%3,957Mercer2,89579.4%69119.0%601.7%2,20460.4%3,646Morton7,42275.3%2,24222.7%1961.9%5,18052.6%9,860Mountrail1,45066.9%66430.6%532.5%78636.3%2,167Nelson1,16073.8%38124.2%312.0%77949.6%1,572Oliver72680.2%15417.0%252.8%57263.2%905Pembina2,18181.6%44716.7%441.6%1,73464.9%2,672Pierce1,57181.0%33917.5%291.5%1,23263.5%1,939Ramsey3,25377.7%86220.6%721.7%2,39157.1%4,187Ransom1,31369.8%53828.6%301.6%77541.2%1,881Renville83278.5%20919.7%191.8%62358.8%1,060Richland4,32276.8%1,20521.4%1041.8%3,11755.4%5,631Rolette2,08952.7%1,75444.2%1233.1%3358.5%3,966Sargent1,03864.8%54634.1%171.0%49230.7%1,601Sheridan66184.6%11114.2%91.1%55070.4%781Sioux42654.5%32741.9%283.6%9913.6%781Slope27982.5%4914.5%103.0%23068.0%338Stark6,42182.9%1,17915.2%1481.9%5,24267.7%7,748Steele60266.5%29332.4%101.1%30934.1%905Stutsman6,01177.4%1,59620.6%1562.0%4,41556.8%7,763Towner76774.5%24724.0%161.6%52050.5%1,030Traill2,26273.6%76524.9%481.6%1,49748.7%3,075Walsh3,23579.7%76718.9%551.3%2,46860.8%4,057Ward15,46580.6%3,45318.0%2751.5%12,01262.6%19,193Wells1,77480.9%38717.7%311.4%1,38763.2%2,192Williams5,27483.3%93914.8%1222.0%4,33568.5%6,335Totals181,68976.1%52,95522.2%4,1681.7%128,73453.9%238,812 Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican All 53

References

External links North Dakota - Elections and Voting U.S. Congress candidates for North Dakota at Project Vote Smart North Dakota U.S. Senate 2010 from OurCampaigns.com Campaign contributions from Open Secrets 2010 North Dakota Senate General Election: All Head-to-Head Matchups graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com Election 2010: North Dakota Senate from Rasmussen Reports 2010 North Dakota Senate Race from Real Clear Politics from CQ Politics Race profile from The New York Times Official campaign websites (Archived) Keith Hanson for U.S. Senate John Hoeven for U.S. Senate

Paul Sorum for U.S. Senate