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North Dakota State Senate elections, 2022
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2024 →
← 2020
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| 2022 North Dakota Senate Elections | |
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| Primary | June 14, 2022 |
| General | November 8, 2022 |
| Past Election Results |
| 2020・2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008 |
| 2022 Elections | |
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| Choose a chamber below: | |
Elections for the North Dakota State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for June 14, 2022. The filing deadline was April 11, 2022.
The chamber's Republican supermajority increased from 40-7 to 43-4.
The North Dakota State Senate was one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2022. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Party control
| North Dakota State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 7 | 4 | |
| Republican Party | 40 | 43 | |
| Total | 47 | 47 | |
Candidates
General
Primary
North Dakota State Senate Primary 2022 |
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| Office | Other | ||
| District 1 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 3 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 5 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 6 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 7 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 8 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 9 |
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| District 10 |
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| District 11 |
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No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
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| District 13 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 15 |
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| District 17 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 19 |
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| District 20 |
Robert Fors (i) |
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| District 21 |
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| District 23 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 25 |
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| District 26 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 27 |
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| District 28 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 29 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 31 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 33 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 35 |
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| District 36 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 37 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 39 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 41 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 43 |
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| District 44 |
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| District 45 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 47 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Click a link below to read survey responses from candidates in that district:
- District 1
- District 3
- District 5
- District 6
- District 7
- District 8
- District 9
- District 10
- District 11
- District 13
- District 15
- District 17
- District 19
- District 20
- District 21
- District 23
- District 25
- District 26
- District 27
- District 28
- District 29
- District 31
- District 33
- District 35
- District 36
- District 37
- District 39
- District 41
- District 43
- District 44
- District 45
- District 47
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in general elections
Three incumbents lost in the Nov. 8 general election.
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Marcellais | Senate District 9 | |
| Tracy Potter | Senate District 35 | |
| JoNell Bakke | Senate District 43 |
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
Three incumbents lost in the June 14 primaries.
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Fors | Senate District 20 | |
| Dave Oehlke | Senate District 15 | |
| Jessica Unruh-Bell | Senate District 33 |
Retiring incumbents
Six incumbents were not on the ballot in 2022.[1] Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oley Larsen | Senate District 3 | Retired | |
| Nicole Poolman | Senate District 7 | Retired | |
| Howard Anderson | Senate District 8 | Retired | |
| Joan Heckaman | Senate District 23 | Retired | |
| Jason Heitkamp | Senate District 26 | Other office | |
| Rich Wardner | Senate District 37 | Retired |
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in North Dakota. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduled House and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in North Dakota in 2022. Information below was calculated on May 17, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
From 2014 to 2020, the number of state legislative primaries in North Dakota with more than one candidate ranged from four to six. In 2022, the number of contested primaries rose to 24, a 300% increase from 2020. This represents 18% of all possible primary contests.
Of those candidates involved in primaries, 27 were incumbents, representing 37% of incumbents who filed for re-election, the largest such percentage since 2014. As a result of redistricting, two incumbents—Sens. Robert Fors (R) and Randy Lemm (R)—were drawn into the same district, setting up an incumbent versus incumbent primary.
Twenty-seven of the seats up for election were left open, meaning no incumbents filed to run, the most since 2014. That represents 28% of the seats up for election this year, all of which were guaranteed to be won by newcomers.
Overall, 168 major party candidates filed to run in 2022: 45 Democrats and 113 Republicans. That's 1.7 candidates per seat, down from 1.9 in 2020 and 1.8 in 2018.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the North Dakota State Senate from 2010 to 2022.[2] It will be updated as information becomes available following the state’s candidate filing deadline.
| Open Seats in North Dakota State Senate elections: 2010 - 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2022 | 32 | 8 (25 percent) | 24 ( 75 percent) |
| 2020 | 23 | 2 (9 percent) | 21 (91 percent) |
| 2018 | 24 | 5 (21 percent) | 19 (79 percent) |
| 2016 | 23 | 3 (13 percent) | 20 (87 percent) |
| 2014 | 24 | 3 (13 percent) | 21 (87 percent) |
| 2012 | 25 | 4 (16 percent) | 21 (84 percent) |
| 2010 | 24 | 4 (17 percent) | 20 (83 percent) |
Incumbents running in new districts
When an incumbent files to run for re-election in the same chamber but a new district, it leaves his or her original seat open. This may happen for a variety of reasons ranging from redistricting to a change in residences. This may result in instances where multiple incumbents face each other in contested primaries or general elections if the incumbent in the new district also seeks re-election.
In 2022, three incumbents filed to run for re-election in new districts different from those they represented before the election. Those incumbents were:
| Incumbents running in new districts | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Party | Originally represented ... | Filed in 2022 in ... | New district open? | ||
| Janne Myrdal | Senate District 10 | Senate District 19 | Yes | |||
| Robert Fors | Senate District 19 | Senate District 20 | No | |||
| Dale Patten | Senate District 39 | Senate District 26 | Yes | |||
Process to become a candidate
For party candidates
See statutes: Chapter 16.1-11, Section 6 of the North Dakota Century Code
A candidate seeking the nomination of a recognized political party can submit a petition/certificate of nomination, an affidavit of candidacy, and a statement of interests in order to have his or her name printed on the primary ballot. A petition/certificate of nomination must include the following information:[3]
- the candidate's name, post office address, and telephone number
- the title of the office being sought
- the name of the party the candidate seeks to represent
For statewide partisan offices (including congressional offices), petitions must contain signatures equaling 3 percent of the total number of votes cast for the party's candidate for the same office in the last general election. No more than 300 signatures, however, may be required for such offices.[3][4][5]
For state legislative offices, petitions must contain signatures equaling least 1 percent of the total resident population of the legislative district according to the most recent federal census.[6]
In addition to petitions/certificates of nomination, candidates must also file affidavits of candidacy, which require basic information about the candidate. Any candidate for state executive or legislative office (excluding federal candidates) must also file a statement of interests, which details the candidate's sources of income and any businesses or organizations in which he or she has a financial or fiduciary responsibility.[7][8][9]
Candidates for federal, statewide executive, or state legislative office must file the aforementioned paperwork with the North Dakota Secretary of State by 4:00 p.m. on the 64th day before the election.[3][6][5]
For independent candidates
See statutes: Chapter 16.1-12 of the North Dakota Century Code
Independent candidates petition for placement on the general election ballot. Like party candidates, an independent candidate must file a petition/certificate of nomination, an affidavit of candidacy, and a statement of interests. Signature requirements for independent candidates differ from those to which party candidates are held. Signature requirements for independent candidates are summarized in the table below.[10]
| Independent candidate signature requirements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office | Required signatures | |
| Governor United States Senator United States Representative Secretary of State of North Dakota Attorney General of North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Tax Commissioner Public Service Commissioner |
1,000 | |
| North Dakota Legislative Assembly | At least 2 percent of the resident population of the district according to the most recent decennial federal census, but no more than 300 signatures may be required | |
Completed filing paperwork must be submitted to the North Dakota Secretary of State office by 4:00 p.m. on the 64th day before the general election.[6][5][11]
For write-in candidates
In order to have his or her votes tallied, a write-in candidate for federal, statewide, or state legislative office must submit a certificate of write-in candidacy to the North Dakota Secretary of State. Certificates for federal and statewide candidates are due by 4:00 p.m. on the 21st day prior to the election. Certificates for state legislative candidates are due by 4:00 p.m. on the fourth day prior to the election. The certificate must include the candidate's name, address, and office being sought. Along with this form, the candidate must also submit a statement of interests (the same as that submitted by party and independent candidates).[6][5][12][13]</ref>
Qualifications
Article 4, Section 5 of the North Dakota Constitution states: State Senators and Representatives must be, on the day of the election, qualified voters in the district from which they are chosen and a resident of the state for one year preceding election to office.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[14] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $592/month | $213/day |
When sworn in
North Dakota legislators assume office December 1st.[15]
North Dakota political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
North Dakota Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas • Thirty-one years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Presidential politics in North Dakota
2020
- See also: Presidential election, 2020
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
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| ✔ |
| Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) |
65.1
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235,595 | 3 |
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| Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) |
31.8
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114,902 | 0 | |
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| Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) |
2.6
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9,393 | 0 | |
| Other write-in votes |
0.5
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1,929 | 0 | ||
| Total votes: 361,819 |
2016
- See also: Presidential election, 2016
| U.S. presidential election, North Dakota, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 27.2% | 93,758 | 0 | |
| Republican |  Donald Trump/Mike Pence |
63% | 216,794 | 3 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 6.2% | 21,434 | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 1.1% | 3,780 | 0 | |
| American Delta | Rocky De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg | 0.1% | 364 | 0 | |
| Constitution | Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley | 0.5% | 1,833 | 0 | |
| - | Write-in votes | 1.9% | 6,397 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 344,360 | 3 | |||
| Election results via: North Dakota Secretary of State | |||||
North Dakota presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 5 Democratic wins
- 27 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Voting information
- See also: Voting in North Dakota
Redistricting following the 2020 census
On May 14, 2025, a federal appeals court overturned a lower court ruling that struck down the state's 2021 legislative maps. On January 8, 2024, the U.S. District Court of North Dakota had ordered the state to adopt a remedial legislative map proposed by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the Spirit Lake Tribe. In the order, Judge Peter Welte said that the new map "requires changes to only three districts ... and is the least intrusive option that complies with the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution."[16][17]
The U.S. District Court of North Dakota struck down the state's legislative map on November 17, 2023, saying in its ruling in the case Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. the Secretary of State of North Dakota, "The Secretary is permanently enjoined from administering, enforcing, preparing for, or in any way permitting the nomination or election of members of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly from districts 9 and 15 and subdistrict 9A and 9B. The Secretary and Legislative Assembly shall have until December 22, 2023, to adopt a plan to remedy the violation of Section 2."[18] North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) signed legislation enacting the state's legislative map on November 11, 2021.
Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.
North Dakota State Senate Districts
before 2020 redistricting cycle
Click a district to compare boundaries.
North Dakota State Senate Districts
after 2020 redistricting cycle
Click a district to compare boundaries.
See also
| North Dakota | State Legislative Elections | News and Analysis |
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2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 North Dakota Century Code, "Chapter 16.1-11, Section 6," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Running for Partisan Statewide Executive Office," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 North Dakota Secretary of State, "Running for U.S. Congress," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 North Dakota Secretary of State, "Running for the ND Legislature," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Affidavit of Candidacy," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Statement of Interests," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ North Dakota Century Code, "Chapter 16.1-11, Section 10," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ North Dakota Century Code, "Chapter 16.1-12, Section 02," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ North Dakota Century Code, "Chapter 16.1-12, Section 4," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ North Dakota Century Code, "Chapter 16.1-12, Section 2.2," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "Certificate of Write-in Candidacy," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ North Dakota Constitution, "Article IV, Section 7," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑ United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, "Case No. 3:22-cv-22 Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, et al., vs. Michael Howe," accessed January 8, 2024
- ↑ Twitter, "RedistrictNet," January 10, 2024
- ↑ U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota, "Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians vs. Michael Howe, in his Official Capacity as Secretary of State of North Dakota," November 17, 2022
