List of governors of North Dakota

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The Governor of North Dakota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of North Dakota. The current Governor is Doug Burgum.

Flag of the Governor

Governors of North Dakota

change
Parties

  Republican (16)   Democratic-Independent (1)   Democratic (3)   Republican/NPL (7)   Republican/IVA (2)   Democratic-NPL (3)

Governors of the State of North Dakota
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor[a]
1     John Miller
(1843–1908)
[1][2]
November 20, 1889[3]

January 7, 1891
(did not run)[1]
Republican[4] 1889   Alfred Dickey
2   Andrew H. Burke
(1850–1918)
[5][6]
January 7, 1891[7]

January 4, 1893
(lost election)
Republican[4] 1890 Roger Allin
3   Eli C. D. Shortridge
(1830–1908)
[8][9]
January 4, 1893[b]

January 9, 1895
(did not run)
Populist[8] 1892 Elmer D. Wallace[c]
4   Roger Allin
(1848–1936)
[13][14]
January 9, 1895[15]

January 7, 1897
(lost nomination)[16]
Republican[4] 1894 John H. Worst
5   Frank A. Briggs
(1858–1898)
[17][18]
January 7, 1897[d]

August 9, 1898
(died in office)
Republican[4] 1896 Joseph M. Devine
6   Joseph M. Devine
(1861–1938)
[21][22]
August 9, 1898[23]

January 3, 1899
(did not run)
Republican[4] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
7   Frederick B. Fancher
(1852–1944)
[24][25]
January 3, 1899[26]

January 7, 1901
(withdrew)[e]
Republican[4] 1898 Joseph M. Devine
8   Frank White
(1856–1940)
[28][29]
January 7, 1901[30]

January 4, 1905
(did not run)
Republican[4] 1900 David Bartlett
1902
9   Elmore Y. Sarles
(1859–1929)
[31][32]
January 4, 1905[33]

January 9, 1907
(lost election)
Republican[4] 1904
10   John Burke
(1859–1937)
[34][35]
January 9, 1907[36]

January 8, 1913
(did not run)
Democratic[4] 1906 Robert S. Lewis
1908
1910 Usher L. Burdick
11   L. B. Hanna
(1861–1948)
[37][38]
January 8, 1913[39]

January 3, 1917
(did not run)
Republican[4] 1912 Anton Kraabel
1914 John H. Fraine
12   Lynn Frazier
(1874–1947)
[40][41]
January 3, 1917[42]

November 23, 1921
(recalled)[f]
Republican/
Nonpartisan League[40]
1916 Anton Kraabel
1918 Howard R. Wood
1920
13   Ragnvald Nestos
(1877–1942)
[43][44]
November 23, 1921[45]

January 7, 1925
(lost nomination)[43]
Republican/
Independent Voters[43]
1921
(recall)[f]
1922 Frank H. Hyland
14   Arthur G. Sorlie
(1874–1928)
[46][47]
January 7, 1925[48]

August 28, 1928
(died in office)
Republican/
Nonpartisan League[46]
1924 Walter Maddock
1926
15   Walter Maddock
(1880–1951)
[49][50]
August 28, 1928[51]

January 9, 1929
(lost election)
Republican/
Nonpartisan League[49]
Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
16   George F. Shafer
(1888–1948)
[52][53]
January 9, 1929[54]

January 4, 1933
(did not run)[g]
Republican/
Independent Voters[52]
1928 John W. Carr
1930
17   William Langer
(1886–1959)
[55][56]
January 4, 1933[h]

July 19, 1934
(removed)[i]
Republican/
Nonpartisan League[55]
1932 Ole H. Olson
18   Ole H. Olson
(1872–1954)
[61][62]
July 19, 1934[i]

January 7, 1935
(did not run)
Republican/
Nonpartisan League
Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
19   Thomas H. Moodie
(1878–1948)
[63][64]
January 7, 1935[65]

February 2, 1935
(removed)[j]
Democratic[63] 1934 Walter Welford
20   Walter Welford
(1868–1952)
[66][67]
February 2, 1935[68]

January 6, 1937
(lost election)
Republican/
Nonpartisan League[66]
Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
21   William Langer
(1886–1959)
[55][56]
January 6, 1937[69]

January 2, 1939
(did not run)[k]
Independent[55] 1936 Thorstein H. H. Thoresen
22   John Moses
(1885–1945)
[70][71]
January 2, 1939[72]

January 2, 1945
(did not run)[l]
Democratic[70] 1938 Jack A. Patterson
1940 Oscar W. Hagen
1942 Henry Holt
23   Fred G. Aandahl
(1897–1966)
[73][74]
January 2, 1945[75]

January 3, 1951
(did not run)[m]
Republican[73] 1944 Clarence P. Dahl
1946
1948
24   Norman Brunsdale
(1891–1978)
[76][77]
January 3, 1951[78]

January 7, 1957
(did not run)
Republican[76] 1950 Ray Schnell
1952 Clarence P. Dahl
1954
25   John E. Davis
(1913–1990)
[79][80]
January 7, 1957[81]

January 3, 1961
(did not run)[n]
Republican[79] 1956 Francis Clyde Duffy
1958 Clarence P. Dahl
26   William L. Guy
(1919–2013)
[82][83]
January 3, 1961[84]

January 2, 1973
(did not run)[82]
Democratic–
Nonpartisan League
[82]
1960 Orville W. Hagen
1962 Frank A. Wenstrom
1964 Charles Tighe
1968 Richard F. Larsen
27   Arthur A. Link
(1914–2010)
[85][86]
January 2, 1973[87]

January 6, 1981
(lost election)
Democratic–
Nonpartisan League
[85]
1972 Wayne Sanstead
1976
28   Allen I. Olson
(b. 1938)
[88]
January 6, 1981[89]

January 1, 1985
(lost election)
Republican[88] 1980 Ernest Sands
29   George A. Sinner
(1928–2018)
[90]
January 1, 1985[o]

December 15, 1992
(did not run)
Democratic–
Nonpartisan League
[90]
1984 Ruth Meiers
1988 Lloyd Omdahl
30   Ed Schafer
(b. 1946)
[93]
December 15, 1992[94]

December 15, 2000
(did not run)
Republican[93] 1992 Rosemarie Myrdal
1996
31   John Hoeven
(b. 1957)
[95]
December 15, 2000[96]

December 7, 2010
(resigned)[p]
Republican[95] 2000 Jack Dalrymple
2004
2008
32   Jack Dalrymple
(b. 1948)
[97]
December 7, 2010[98]

December 15, 2016
(did not run)
Republican[97] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Drew Wrigley
2012
33   Doug Burgum
(b. 1956)
[99]
December 15, 2016[100]

December 15, 2024
(did not run)
Republican[99] 2016 Brent Sanford
2020
Tammy Miller
34   Kelly Armstrong
(b. 1976)
December 15, 2024

Incumbent
Republican 2024 Michelle Strinden
  1. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  2. Sources disagree on when Shortridge took office; Sobel says January 2,[8] the State Historical Society says January 3,[10] one contemporary news source says Shortridge qualified on January 3,[11] and Shortridge delivered his inaugural address (dated January 3) to the legislature on January 4.[12]
  3. Represented the Democratic-Independent Party
  4. Sources disagree on when Briggs took office; Sobel says January 8,[17] the State Historical Society says January 6,[19] and a contemporary news source says he was sworn in on January 7,[20] which notes that inaugural proceedings were delayed by the death of Briggs' daughter.
  5. Fancher was nominated by the Republican Party, but withdrew from the election due to health concerns.[27]
  6. 6.0 6.1 Frazier was recalled and Nestos elected to replace him in a special election.
  7. Shafer instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination to the United States Senate.[52]
  8. Sources disagree on when Langer took office; the State Historical Society says December 31, 1932,[57] but contemporary news indicates it was on January 4, 1933, the matter being complicated because Langer was ill and unable to attend..[58]
  9. 9.0 9.1 Langer was removed from office following his conviction of felony conspiracy to defraud the federal government; he was later cleared.[55] He was convicted on June 17 and Lieutenant Governor Ole H. Olson immediately moved to take over, receiving the oath of office.[59] The Supreme Court ruled Langer was ineligible on July 17, and Olson formally took office on July 19.[60]
  10. The Supreme Court ruled that Moodie did not meet residency requirements to run for governor, and so removed him.[63]
  11. Langer instead ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.[55]
  12. Moses was instead elected to the United States Senate.[70]
  13. Aandahl was instead elected to the United States House of Representatives.[73]
  14. Davis instead ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.[79]
  15. Sinner took the oath of office on December 31, so that he would become governor at midnight on January 1; Olson claimed that his term did not end until January 5, and refused to leave office. The Supreme Court ruled on January 4 that Sinner was governor, and had been since January 1.[91][92]
  16. Hoeven resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.

References

change
  1. 1.0 1.1 Sobel 1978, p. 1171.
  2. "John Miller". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  3. "The Legislature". Bismarck Weekly Tribune. 1889-11-22. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 Kallenbach 1977, pp. 450–451.
  5. Sobel 1978, pp. 1171–1172.
  6. "Andrew Horace Burke". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  7. North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1891 sess., 34, accessed May 30, 2023
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Sobel 1978, p. 1172.
  9. "Eli C. D. Shortridge". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  10. "Eli C. D. Shortridge". North Dakota Governors Online. State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  11. "North Dakota Legislature Gets in Motion". Chicago Tribune. 1893-01-04. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  12. North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1893 sess., 33, accessed May 30, 2023
  13. Sobel 1978, pp. 1172–1173.
  14. "Roger Allin". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  15. North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Journal of the House of Representatives. 1895 sess., 35, accessed May 30, 2023
  16. "Briggs the Man". The Washburn Leader. 1896-07-25. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  17. 17.0 17.1 Sobel 1978, p. 1173.
  18. "Frank Arlington Briggs". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  19. "Frank A. Briggs". North Dakota Governors Online. State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  20. "The Legislature". Courier Democrat. 1897-01-14. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  21. Sobel 1978, p. 1174.
  22. "Joseph McMurray Devine". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  23. "Briggs Is Dead!". The Hope Pioneer. 1898-08-11. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  24. Sobel 1978, pp. 1174–1175.
  25. "Frederick Bartlett Fancher". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  26. "North Dakota Officers Inaugurated". The Bottineau Courant. 1899-01-07. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  27. "Fancher Resigns". Jamestown Weekly Alert. 1900-09-27. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  28. Sobel 1978, p. 1175.
  29. "Frank White". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  30. "The New Officers". The Bismarck Tribune. 1901-01-07. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  31. Sobel 1978, pp. 1175–1176.
  32. "Elmore Yocum Sarles". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  33. "New Administration Is Nicely Launched". The Bismarck Tribune. 1905-01-05. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  34. Sobel 1978, pp. 1176–1177.
  35. "John Burke". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  36. "Now Gov. Burke". The Bismarck Tribune. 1907-01-10. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  37. Sobel 1978, p. 1177.
  38. "Louis Benjamin Hanna". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  39. "A Republican Administration". The Bismarck Tribune. 1913-01-09. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  40. 40.0 40.1 Sobel 1978, pp. 1177–1178.
  41. "Lynn Joseph Frazier". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  42. "Intense Enthusiasm Marks New Regime at State Capitol". The Bismarck Tribune. 1917-01-03. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  43. 43.0 43.1 43.2 Sobel 1978, pp. 1178–1179.
  44. "Ragnvold Anderson Nestos". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  45. "New Governor Kindles Pride in State, Pledges Economy. Asks Strife Be Forgotten". The Bismarck Tribune. 1921-11-23. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  46. 46.0 46.1 Sobel 1978, p. 1179.
  47. "Arthur Gustav Sorlie". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  48. "Sorlie, Nestos Both Speak; New Governor Inaugurated Before Joint Session Today". The Bismarck Tribune. 1925-01-07. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  49. 49.0 49.1 Sobel 1978, pp. 1179–1180.
  50. "Walter Maddock". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  51. "Governor Sorlie Dead from Fight with Heart Disease". The Bismarck Tribune. 1928-08-28. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  52. 52.0 52.1 52.2 Sobel 1978, p. 1180.
  53. "George Frederick Shafer". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  54. "Governor Shafer Takes Post". The Bismarck Tribune. 1929-01-09. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  55. 55.0 55.1 55.2 55.3 55.4 55.5 Sobel 1978, p. 1181.
  56. 56.0 56.1 "William Langer". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  57. "William Langer". North Dakota Governors Online. State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  58. "New Officers Take Hold and Name Deputies". Morning Pioneer. Associated Press. 1933-01-04. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  59. "New Rockford Man Moves to Assume Duties of Office". The Bismarck Tribune. 1934-06-18. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  60. "Acting Governor Takes Control of Executive Office". The Bismarck Tribune. 1934-07-19. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  61. Sobel 1978, pp. 1181–1182.
  62. "Ole H. Olson". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  63. 63.0 63.1 63.2 Sobel 1978, p. 1182.
  64. "Thomas Hilliard Moodie". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  65. "Moodie Becomes N.D. Governor". The Bismarck Tribune. 1935-01-07. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  66. 66.0 66.1 Sobel 1978, p. 1183.
  67. "Walter Welford". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  68. "Supreme Court Holds Moodie Disqualified by Constitution". The Bismarck Tribune. 1935-02-02. p. 9. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  69. "Grand March Climaxes Inaugural". The Bismarck Tribune. 1937-01-07. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  70. 70.0 70.1 70.2 Sobel 1978, pp. 1183–1184.
  71. "John Moses". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  72. "Langer Ends His Regime". Reno Gazette-Journal. Associated Press. 1939-01-02. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  73. 73.0 73.1 73.2 Sobel 1978, p. 1184.
  74. "Fred George Aandahl". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  75. "Aandahl, Other New State Officers Begin Duties". The Bismarck Tribune. 1945-01-02. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  76. 76.0 76.1 Sobel 1978, p. 1185.
  77. "C. Norman Brunsdale". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  78. "Family, Friends of New Governor Attend Inaugural". The Bismarck Tribune. 1951-01-03. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  79. 79.0 79.1 79.2 Sobel 1978, pp. 1185–1186.
  80. "John Edward Davis". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  81. "John Davis Is Sworn In at Capitol". The Bismarck Tribune. 1957-01-09. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  82. 82.0 82.1 82.2 Sobel 1978, p. 1186.
  83. "William Lewis Guy". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  84. "Guy Urges Austerity for N.D." The Bismarck Tribune. Associated Press. 1961-01-04. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  85. 85.0 85.1 Sobel 1978, p. 1187.
  86. "Link Takes Oath As State Head". The Bismarck Tribune. Associated Press. 1973-01-03. p. 24. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  87. 88.0 88.1 "Allen Ingvar Olson". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  88. Baenen, Jeff (1981-01-07). "Olson Begins Term". The Bismarck Tribune. Associated Press. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  89. 90.0 90.1 "George Albert Sinner". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  90. Sellnow, Greg (1985-01-05). "Supreme Court Tells Olson to Pack It In". The Bismarck Tribune. p. 1A. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  91. Sellnow, Greg (1985-01-05). "Justices Unanimously Support Sinner". The Bismarck Tribune. p. 1A. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  92. 93.0 93.1 "Edward Thomas Schafer". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  93. Donatelle, Kristine (1992-12-16). "Governor Fills Key Posts". The Bismarck Tribune. p. 1A. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  94. 95.0 95.1 "John Hoeven". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  95. Wetzel, Dale (2000-12-16). "Hoeven's First Day Full of Decisions". The Bismarck Tribune. Associated Press. p. 1A. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  96. 97.0 97.1 "Jack Dalrymple". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  97. Beitsch, Rebecca (2010-12-08). "It's Official, Governor". The Bismarck Tribune. p. 1A. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  98. 99.0 99.1 "Doug Burgum". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  99. Holgate, Julie (December 15, 2016). "Doug Burgum Takes Office As Nd Governor Today". Valley News Live. Retrieved May 31, 2023.