Governor of North Dakota

Last updated
Governor of North Dakota
Coat of arms of North Dakota.svg
Seal of the governor of North Dakota
Flag of the Governor of North Dakota.svg
Standard of the governor
Governor Doug Burgum (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Doug Burgum
since December 15, 2016
Government of North Dakota
Style
Status
Residence North Dakota Governor's Residence
Term length 4 years, renewable once
Inaugural holder John Miller
FormationNovember 20, 1889
Deputy Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota
Salary$135,360 (2020) [1]
Website Official website OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The governor of North Dakota is the head of government of North Dakota and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.

Contents

The Constitution of North Dakota specifies that "the executive power is vested in the governor" in Section 1. Section 7 indicates that "the governor is the chief executive of the state. The governor shall have the responsibility to see that the state's business is well administered and that its laws are faithfully executed." [2]

Eligibility

According to Article 5 of the constitution, to be eligible to hold an elective office as governor, a person must be a qualified elector in North Dakota, must be at least thirty years of age on the day of the election, and must have been a resident of the state for the five years preceding election to office.

Dates of party conventions and gubernatorial nominations

The dates that political parties meet to nominate official candidates for state offices varies by party.

Dates of general elections

The dates of the general election for the office of governor are set by the North Dakota legislative assembly. Traditionally, the general election date coincides with the U.S. presidential election which is the first Tuesday of November in even years, every four years (except when the first Tuesday falls on November 1; in that case, the general election is held on November 8).

The next gubernatorial election in North Dakota is slated for November 5, 2024.

Current governor

The current governor of North Dakota is Republican Doug Burgum. He became governor on December 15, 2016.

Governor and lieutenant governor elected together

According to the state constitution, the governor and the lieutenant governor must be elected on a joint ballot, or single ticket. [3] In North Dakota, each candidate for governor appears printed on the ballot with the candidate for lieutenant governor of the same political party.

A single vote is cast for both offices; no other option is available to the voter. Therefore, a voter may not choose a single candidate for governor from one political party and a single candidate for lieutenant governor from a competing party.

Additional gubernatorial rights, responsibilities and positions

In addition to his role leading the executive branch offices, the governor has the right to sign or veto laws and to call the Legislative Assembly into emergency session.

The governor is also, by statute, chairman of the North Dakota Industrial Commission.

Length and dates of term

A governor is elected by statewide popular vote to a 4-year term.

North Dakota law specifies that a regular term of an elected governor shall commence on December 15 following the November election in an even year, for a term of precisely four years, ending on December 15 four years after the inauguration of that person.

Date of inauguration, exceptions and inaugural celebrations

The standard date of inauguration to the office of Governor of North Dakota is December 15 following the even-year general election.

Thus, the next scheduled inauguration of the governor will be held on December 15, 2024, for the successful candidate chosen at the November 2024 general election.

Other dates for the regularly scheduled inaugurations were mandated at various times, primarily dates in late December following the general election and several in January of the year following the general election.

There have been cases where the governor of North Dakota was inaugurated on other dates, due to the vacancy of the office of governor. These have included the resignation of the governor, the death in office of a governor, and in one instance, the judicial removal because of a felony conviction of a governor (William Langer; his conviction was later overturned and he was elected to another term).

Inaugural balls and related celebrations have been most often been celebrated on the dates of gubernatorial inaugurations.

Although the current governor, Doug Burgum, was first inaugurated on December 15, 2016, the formal inaugural celebration was held in January 2017. The decision to conduct the celebration at a later date was made to avoid interference with the busy holiday schedules of many celebrants in December. [4]

Gubernatorial term limits

In November 2022, voters approved an amendment to the North Dakota Constitution that established a lifetime limit of two four-year terms for the office of governor. The amendment only applies to individuals elected after the approval of the amendment. [5]

Previously, there was no limit to the number of terms a governor may serve, if elected.

The longest-serving North Dakota governor was William L. Guy (1961-1973), who served four terms, two being for a two-year term and two being for a four-year term, for a total of 12 years in office. John Hoeven holds the record as the second longest-serving North Dakota governor (2000-2010).

Non-sequential terms

It is possible for a governor to serve non-sequential terms. William Langer is the only one who has done so.

Official residence

The official residence of the governor is the North Dakota Governor's Residence in Bismarck.

List of governors of North Dakota

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor of Virginia</span> Chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia

The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Dakota Republican Party</span> North Dakota affiliate of the Republican Party

The North Dakota Republican Party is the North Dakota affiliate of the United States Republican Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts</span> American position

The lieutenant governor of Massachusetts is the first in the line to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor following the incapacitation of the Governor of Massachusetts. The constitutional honorific title for the office is His, or Her, Honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey</span> Elected official in the U.S. state of New Jersey

The lieutenant governor of New Jersey is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the state government of New Jersey in the United States. The lieutenant governor is the second highest-ranking official in the state government and is elected concurrently on a ticket with the governor for a four-year term. The position itself does not carry any powers or duties other than to be next in the order of succession, but the state constitution requires that the lieutenant governor also be appointed to serve as the head of a cabinet-level department or administrative agency within the governor's administration, other than the position of Attorney General.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota</span>

The lieutenant governor of North Dakota is a political office in North Dakota. The lieutenant governor's duty is to preside as President of the Senate, and is responsible for legislative relations, the state budget and agribusiness development. In the event the office of the governor becomes vacant, the lieutenant governor assumes that office and appoints a replacement lieutenant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of South Dakota</span> Government of the U.S. state of South Dakota

The structure of the government of South Dakota is based on that of the federal government, with three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. The structure of the state government is laid out in the Constitution of South Dakota, the highest law in the state. The constitution may be amended either by a majority vote of both houses of the legislature, or by voter initiative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of North Dakota</span> Overview of the politics of the U.S. state of North Dakota

The politics of North Dakota were shaped historically by early settlement by people from the Northern Tier, who carried their politics west ultimately from New England, upstate New York, and the Upper Midwest. The area and state also received numerous European immigrants and migrants, particularly during the era of opening up of former Native American lands for sale and settlement.

The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Louisiana:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 North Dakota gubernatorial election</span> Election for the governor of North Dakota

The 2016 North Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. This would have been the first time North Dakotans selected a governor under new voter ID requirements, in which a student ID was insufficient identification to vote, but a court ruling in August 2016 struck the down the provision; the election was held under the 2013 rules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 North Dakota elections</span>

North Dakota held two statewide elections in 2016: a primary election on Tuesday, June 14, and a general election on Tuesday, November 8. In addition, each township elected officers on Tuesday, March 15, and each school district selected a date between April 1 and June 30 to hold their elections. This would have been the first election since the state legislature revoked the ability to use a student or military ID to satisfy state ID voting requirements, but a court ruling in August struck the down the provision, and the election was held under the 2013 rules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in North Dakota</span> Overview of the procedure of elections in the U.S. state of North Dakota

Statewide elections in the U.S. state of North Dakota take place every two years. Most executive offices and all legislators are elected to four-year terms, with half the terms expiring on U.S. Presidential election years, and the other half expiring on mid-term election years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brent Sanford</span> Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota from 2016 to 2023

Brent Sanford is an American politician who was the 38th lieutenant governor of North Dakota from 2016 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was Mayor of Watford City from 2010 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 3, 2020, in 11 states and two territories. The previous gubernatorial elections for this group of states took place in 2016, except in New Hampshire and Vermont where governors only serve two-year terms. These two states elected their current governors in 2018. Nine state governors ran for reelection and all nine won, while Democrat Steve Bullock of Montana could not run again due to term limits and Republican Gary Herbert of Utah decided to retire at the end of his term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 North Dakota gubernatorial election</span> Election for the governor of North Dakota

The 2020 North Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota, concurrently with other federal and statewide elections, including the U.S. presidential election. Incumbent Republican Governor Doug Burgum and Lieutenant Governor Brent Sanford were both re-elected to a second term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 North Dakota elections</span>

North Dakota has held two statewide elections in 2020: a primary election on Tuesday, June 9, and a general election on Tuesday, November 3. In addition, each township has elected officers on Tuesday, March 17, and each school district held their elections on a date of their choosing between April 1 and June 30.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 North Dakota gubernatorial election</span> Election for the governor of North Dakota

The 2024 North Dakota gubernatorial election will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the governor of North Dakota, concurrently with the U.S. presidential election, as well as various other federal, state, and local elections. Primary elections will take place on June 11, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections are scheduled to be held on November 5, 2024, in 11 states and two territories. The previous gubernatorial elections for this group of states took place in 2020, except in New Hampshire and Vermont where governors only serve two-year terms and elected their governors in 2022. In addition to state gubernatorial elections, the territories of American Samoa and Puerto Rico will also hold elections for their governors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tammy Miller (politician)</span> American politician

Tammy Miller is an American accountant and politician from North Dakota. Assuming office in 2023, she is the 39th lieutenant governor of North Dakota. Miller was appointed by Governor Doug Burgum, following Lieutenant Governor Brent Sanford's resignation.

References

  1. "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  2. http://www.legis.nd.gov/constit/a05.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  3. http://www.legis.nd.gov/constit/a05.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  4. http://legacy.wday.com/event/article/id/72633/ [ bare URL ]
  5. MacPHERSON, JAMES (AP). "North Dakota voters OK term limits for governor, legislators". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2022-11-10.