North Dakota State Senate elections, 2020

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2020 North Dakota Senate Elections
General	November 3, 2020
Primary	June 9, 2020

Past Election Results

2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008

2020 Elections
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Republicans gained seats in the 2020 elections for North Dakota State Senate, expanding their supermajority. Twenty-three seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans held 37 seats and Democrats held 10. Republicans gained a net three seats from Democrats, leaving the Republican Party with a 40-7 supermajority.

The North Dakota State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. A total of 23 seats out of the chamber's 47 seats were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.

North Dakota's 2020 gubernatorial and state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In North Dakota, the state legislature is responsible for redistricting. District maps are subject to gubernatorial veto.

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

North Dakota did not modify any procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Party control

See also: Partisan composition of state senates and State government trifectas

North Dakota State Senate
Party		As of November 3, 2020	After November 4, 2020
	Democratic Party	10	7
	Republican Party	37	40
Total		47	47

General election

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Primary election
The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the North Dakota Secretary of State on April 6, 2020.

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Incumbents who were not re-elected

See also: Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020

Incumbents defeated in the general election

Three incumbents lost in the Nov. 3 general election. Those incumbents were:

Name	Party	Office
John Grabinger	Democratic	Senate District 12
Larry Robinson	Democratic	Senate District 24
Jim Dotzenrod	Democratic	Senate District 26

Incumbents defeated in primary elections

No incumbents lost in the June 9 primaries. As of 2020, the last time an incumbent Senator was defeated in a primary was 2012.

Retiring incumbents

There were two open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020. Those incumbents were:

Name	Party	Office
Gary Lee	Republican	Senate District 22
Dwight Cook	Republican	Senate District 34

The two seats left open in 2020 represented the lowest number of open seats within the preceding decade. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.

Open Seats in North Dakota State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020
Year	Total seats	Open seats	Seats with incumbents running for re-election
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)

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in North Dakota

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:

• 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.

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.

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.

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.

Candidates can also be added to the primary ballot via an endorsement from the political party's convention. Former Republican Party state chair and national committeeman Curly Haugland has argued that the party convention process supersedes the primary process and that each party's general election candidate should be selected via the convention process with a vote from the party membership.

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.

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.

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).

2020 ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for North Dakota State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
North Dakota State Senate	Qualified party	1% of total population of the district	N/A	4/6/2020	Source
North Dakota State Senate	Unaffiliated	2% of total population of the district	N/A	8/31/2020	Source

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

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
Salary	Per diem
$592/month	$213/day

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

North Dakota legislators assume office December 1st.

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

2016 Presidential election results

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

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. A primary election is also sometimes used to choose convention delegates and party leaders; however, these selection processes can vary from state to state and party to party within a state. In North Dakota, precinct, district, and state party officials are selected at party caucuses and conventions, not at the state-administered primary election. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. North Dakota utilizes an open primary system, in which voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In North Dakota, voting hours at polling locations vary by county. According to statute, all polls must open between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. local time, and they must close between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. North Dakota is divided between the Central and Mountain time zones. Hours for specific polling places are available online through the state's Polling Place Search. A voter who is standing in line at the time the polls close will be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter information here.

North Dakota is the only state that does not require voter registration.

“	Although North Dakota was one of the first states to adopt voter registration prior to the turn of the century, it abolished it in 1951. It is also worth noting that North Dakota law still provides cities with the ability to register voters for city elections. North Dakota is a rural state and its communities maintain close ties and networks. North Dakota's system of voting, and lack of voter registration, is rooted in its rural character by providing small precincts. Establishing relatively small precincts is intended to ensure that election boards know the voters who come to the polls to vote on Election Day and can easily detect those who should not be voting in the precinct.	”
—North Dakota Secretary of State

Voter ID requirements

North Dakota requires voters to present identification while voting. Identification must include the voter’s name, current North Dakota residential address, and date of birth.

Acceptable forms of voter identification include:

• Driver’s license
• Nondriver’s identification card
• Tribal government-issued identification (including those issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for a tribe located in North Dakota, any other tribal agency or entity, or any other document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)
• Long-term care identification certificate (provided by North Dakota facility)

If a voter does not have a form of identification that includes his or her current North Dakota residential address or date of birth, the voter can present the following supplemental documents:

• Current utility bill
• Current bank statement
• Check or a document issued by a federal, state, local, or tribal government (including those issued by BIA for a tribe located in North Dakota, any other tribal agency or entity, or any other document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)
• Paycheck
• Student photo ID card from a North Dakota institution containing the student's photograph and legal name. A printed document on school letterhead containing the student’s name, address, and date of birth must also be presented.
• North Dakota residents living outside of the United States can submit a U.S. Passport or Military ID if they do not have another valid form of identification.

According to the secretary of state's office, "An applicant without an acceptable form of identification may use an attester. The attester must provide his or her name, North Dakota driver’s license, nondriver’s, or tribal identification number, and sign the absentee/mail ballot application form to attest to the applicant’s North Dakota residency and voting eligibility."

Voters who cast absentee/mail-in ballot must include a valid form of identification with their ballot. A voter who has a disability that prevents them from leaving his or her home and is unable to obtain a valid form of identification "must provide his or her name, North Dakota driver’s license, nondriver’s, or tribal identification number, and sign the absentee/mail ballot application form to attest to the applicant’s North Dakota residency and voting eligibility."

Early voting

North Dakota law permits counties to establish early voting. As of October 2024, seven of North Dakota's 53 counties offered early voting. Together, these counties contained 76 of the state's 175 Election Day polling places. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in North Dakota. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.

There is no specific deadline for applying for an absentee ballot. The completed ballot must be postmarked at least one day before the election.

See also

• North Dakota State Senate
• North Dakota State Legislature
• State legislative elections, 2020

External links

Suggest a link

• North Dakota State Legislature

Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the North Dakota State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:David Hogue

Minority Leader:Kathy Hogan

Senators

District 1

Brad Bekkedahl (R)

District 2

Mark Enget (R)

District 3

Bob Paulson (R)

District 4

Chuck Walen (R)

District 5

Randy Burckhard (R)

District 6

Paul Thomas (R)

District 7

Michelle Axtman (R)

District 8

Jeffery Magrum (R)

District 9

Richard Marcellais (D)

District 10

Ryan Braunberger (D)

District 11

Tim Mathern (D)

District 12

Cole Conley (R)

District 13

Judy Lee (R)

District 14

Jerry Klein (R)

District 15

Kent Weston (R)

District 16

David Clemens (R)

District 17

Jonathan Sickler (R)

District 18

Scott Meyer (R)

District 19

Janne Myrdal (R)

District 20

Randy Lemm (R)

District 21

Kathy Hogan (D)

District 22

Mark Weber (R)

District 23

Todd Beard (R)

District 24

Mike Wobbema (R)

District 25

Larry Luick (R)

District 26

Dale Patten (R)

District 27

Kristin Roers (R)

District 28

Robert Erbele (R)

District 29

Terry Wanzek (R)

District 30

Diane Larson (R)

District 31

Donald Schaible (R)

District 32

Dick Dever (R)

District 33

Keith Boehm (R)

District 34

Justin Gerhardt (R)

District 35

Sean Cleary (R)

District 36

Desiree Van Oosting (R)

District 37

Dean Rummel (R)

District 38

David Hogue (R)

District 39

Greg Kessel (R)

District 40

Jose Castaneda (R)

District 41

Kyle Davison (R)

District 42

Claire Cory (R)

District 43

Jeff Barta (R)

District 44

Joshua Boschee (D)

District 45

Ronald Sorvaag (R)

District 46

Michelle Powers (R)

District 47

Mike Dwyer (R)

Republican Party (42)

Democratic Party (5)