List of governors of North Dakota facts for kids
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 Doug Burgum.
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, and should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor. The term of office begins on the December 15 following the election.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | John Miller (1843–1908) |
November 20, 1889 – January 7, 1891 (did not run) |
Republican | 1889 | Alfred Dickey | |||||
2 | Andrew H. Burke (1850–1918) |
January 7, 1891 – January 4, 1893 (lost election) |
Republican | 1890 | Roger Allin | |||||
3 | Eli C. D. Shortridge (1830–1908) |
January 4, 1893 – January 9, 1895 (did not run) |
Populist | 1892 | Elmer D. Wallace | |||||
4 | Roger Allin (1848–1936) |
January 9, 1895 – January 7, 1897 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1894 | John H. Worst | |||||
5 | Frank A. Briggs (1858–1898) |
January 7, 1897 – August 9, 1898 (died in office) |
Republican | 1896 | Joseph M. Devine | |||||
6 | Joseph M. Devine (1861–1938) |
August 9, 1898 – January 3, 1899 (did not run) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | |||||
7 | Frederick B. Fancher (1852–1944) |
January 3, 1899 – January 7, 1901 (withdrew) |
Republican | 1898 | Joseph M. Devine | |||||
8 | Frank White (1856–1940) |
January 7, 1901 – January 4, 1905 (did not run) |
Republican | 1900 | David Bartlett | |||||
1902 | ||||||||||
9 | Elmore Y. Sarles (1859–1929) |
January 4, 1905 – January 9, 1907 (lost election) |
Republican | 1904 | ||||||
10 | John Burke (1859–1937) |
January 9, 1907 – January 8, 1913 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1906 | Robert S. Lewis | |||||
1908 | ||||||||||
1910 | Usher L. Burdick | |||||||||
11 | L. B. Hanna (1861–1948) |
January 8, 1913 – January 3, 1917 (did not run) |
Republican | 1912 | Anton Kraabel | |||||
1914 | John H. Fraine | |||||||||
12 | Lynn Frazier (1874–1947) |
January 3, 1917 – November 23, 1921 (recalled) |
Republican/ Nonpartisan League |
1916 | Anton Kraabel | |||||
1918 | Howard R. Wood | |||||||||
1920 | ||||||||||
13 | Ragnvald Nestos (1877–1942) |
November 23, 1921 – January 7, 1925 (lost nomination) |
Republican/ Independent Voters |
1921 (recall) |
||||||
1922 | Frank H. Hyland | |||||||||
14 | Arthur G. Sorlie (1874–1928) |
January 7, 1925 – August 28, 1928 (died in office) |
Republican/ Nonpartisan League |
1924 | Walter Maddock | |||||
1926 | ||||||||||
15 | Walter Maddock (1880–1951) |
August 28, 1928 – January 9, 1929 (lost election) |
Republican/ Nonpartisan League |
Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | |||||
16 | George F. Shafer (1888–1948) |
January 9, 1929 – January 4, 1933 (did not run) |
Republican/ Independent Voters |
1928 | John W. Carr | |||||
1930 | ||||||||||
17 | William Langer (1886–1959) |
January 4, 1933 – July 19, 1934 (removed) |
Republican/ Nonpartisan League |
1932 | Ole H. Olson | |||||
18 | Ole H. Olson (1872–1954) |
July 19, 1934 – January 7, 1935 (did not run) |
Republican/ Nonpartisan League |
Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | |||||
19 | Thomas H. Moodie (1878–1948) |
January 7, 1935 – February 2, 1935 (removed) |
Democratic | 1934 | Walter Welford | |||||
20 | Walter Welford (1868–1952) |
February 2, 1935 – January 6, 1937 (lost election) |
Republican/ Nonpartisan League |
Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | |||||
21 | William Langer (1886–1959) |
January 6, 1937 – January 2, 1939 (did not run) |
Independent | 1936 | Thorstein H. H. Thoresen | |||||
22 | John Moses (1885–1945) |
January 2, 1939 – January 2, 1945 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1938 | Jack A. Patterson | |||||
1940 | Oscar W. Hagen | |||||||||
1942 | Henry Holt | |||||||||
23 | Fred G. Aandahl (1897–1966) |
January 2, 1945 – January 3, 1951 (did not run) |
Republican | 1944 | Clarence P. Dahl | |||||
1946 | ||||||||||
1948 | ||||||||||
24 | Norman Brunsdale (1891–1978) |
January 3, 1951 – January 7, 1957 (did not run) |
Republican | 1950 | Ray Schnell | |||||
1952 | Clarence P. Dahl | |||||||||
1954 | ||||||||||
25 | John E. Davis (1913–1990) |
January 7, 1957 – January 3, 1961 (did not run) |
Republican | 1956 | Francis Clyde Duffy | |||||
1958 | Clarence P. Dahl | |||||||||
26 | William L. Guy (1919–2013) |
January 3, 1961 – January 2, 1973 (did not run) |
Democratic– Nonpartisan League |
1960 | Orville W. Hagen | |||||
1962 | Frank A. Wenstrom | |||||||||
1964 | Charles Tighe | |||||||||
1968 | Richard F. Larsen | |||||||||
27 | Arthur A. Link (1914–2010) |
January 2, 1973 – January 6, 1981 (lost election) |
Democratic– Nonpartisan League |
1972 | Wayne Sanstead | |||||
1976 | ||||||||||
28 | Allen I. Olson (b. 1938) |
January 6, 1981 – December 31, 1984 (lost election) |
Republican | 1980 | Ernest Sands | |||||
29 | George A. Sinner (1928–2018) |
January 1, 1985 – December 15, 1992 (did not run) |
Democratic– Nonpartisan League |
1984 | Ruth Meiers | |||||
1988 | Lloyd Omdahl | |||||||||
30 | Ed Schafer (b. 1946) |
December 15, 1992 – December 15, 2000 (did not run) |
Republican | 1992 | Rosemarie Myrdal | |||||
1996 | ||||||||||
31 | John Hoeven (b. 1957) |
December 15, 2000 – December 7, 2010 (resigned) |
Republican | 2000 | Jack Dalrymple | |||||
2004 | ||||||||||
2008 | ||||||||||
32 | Jack Dalrymple (b. 1948) |
December 7, 2010 – December 15, 2016 (did not run) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Drew Wrigley | |||||
2012 | ||||||||||
33 | Doug Burgum (b. 1956) |
December 15, 2016 – Incumbent |
Republican | 2016 | Brent Sanford | |||||
2020 | ||||||||||
Tammy Miller |
See also
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#North Dakota