Governor of North Dakota

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.

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."

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 7, 2028.

Current governor

The current governor of North Dakota is Republican Kelly Armstrong. He became governor on December 15, 2024.

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.

Gubernatorial term limits

There was initially no limit to the number of terms a governor may serve if elected, until November 2022, when 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.

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

Timeline

{| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

| <strong>Timeline of North Dakota governors</strong>