thumb|[[Flags of governors of the U.S. states|Flag of the governor]]
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 Kelly Armstrong.
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.
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible sticky-header-multi" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Governors of the State of North Dakota
!scope="col" data-sort-type="number"|
!scope="colgroup" colspan="4"|Governor
!scope="col"|Term in office
!scope="col"|Party
!scope="col"|Election
!scope="colgroup" colspan="3"|Lt. Governor
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|1
|data-sort-value="Miller, John"|75px
|rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background: ;"|
|John Miller<br><br>
|<br />–<br />January 7, 1891<br>
|Republican
|1889
|rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background: ;"|
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|2
|data-sort-value="Burke, Andrew"|75px
|Andrew H. Burke<br><br>
|<br />–<br />January 4, 1893<br>
|Republican
|1890
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|3
|data-sort-value="Shortridge, Eli"|75px
|colspan="2" style="background: ;"|
|Eli C. D. Shortridge<br><br>
|<br />–<br />January 9, 1895<br>
|Populist
|1892
|colspan="2" style="background: ;"|
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|4
|data-sort-value="Allin, Roger"|75px
|colspan="2" rowspan="7" style="background: ;"|
|Roger Allin<br><br>
|<br />–<br />January 7, 1897<br>
|Republican
|1894
|colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="background: ;"|
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|5
|data-sort-value="Briggs, Frank"|75px
|Frank A. Briggs<br><br>
|<br />–<br />August 9, 1898<br>
|Republican
|1896
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|6
|data-sort-value="Devine, Joseph"|75px
|Joseph M. Devine<br><br>
|<br />–<br />January 3, 1899<br>
|Republican
|style="background:#EEEEEE"|
|colspan="3" style="background:#EEEEEE;"|Vacant
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|7
|data-sort-value="Fancher, Frederick"|75px
|Frederick B. Fancher<br><br>
|<br />–<br />January 7, 1901<br>
|Republican
|1898
|colspan="2" rowspan="4" style="background: ;"|
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="2" scope="rowgroup"|8
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="White, Frank"|75px
|rowspan="2"|Frank White<br><br>
|rowspan="2"|<br />–<br />January 4, 1905<br>
|rowspan="2"|Republican
|1900
|rowspan="3"|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1902
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|9
|data-sort-value="Sarles, Elmore"|75px
|Elmore Y. Sarles<br><br>
|<br />–<br />January 9, 1907<br>
|Republican
|1904
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="3" scope="rowgroup"|10
|rowspan="3" data-sort-value="Burke, John"|75px
|colspan="2" rowspan="3" style="background: ;"|
|rowspan="3"|John Burke<br><br>
|rowspan="3"|<br />–<br />January 8, 1913<br>
|rowspan="3"|Democratic
|1906
|colspan="2" rowspan="3" style="background: ;"|
|rowspan="2"|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1908
|- style="height:2em;"
|1910
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="2" scope="rowgroup"|11
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="Hanna, L.B."|75px
|colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="background: ; border-bottom: none;"|
|rowspan="2"|L. B. Hanna<br><br>
|rowspan="2"|<br />–<br />January 3, 1917<br>
|rowspan="2"|Republican
|1912
|colspan="2" rowspan="9" style="background: ;"|
|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1914
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="3" scope="rowgroup"|12
|rowspan="3" data-sort-value="Frazier, Lynn"|75px
|rowspan="12" style="background: ; border-top: none; padding: .2em .2em;"|
|rowspan="3" style="background: ; padding: .2em .2em;"|
|rowspan="3"|Lynn Frazier<br><br>
|rowspan="3"|<br />–<br />November 23, 1921<br>
|rowspan="3"|Republican/<br />Nonpartisan League
|1916
|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1918
|rowspan="3"|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1920
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="2" scope="rowgroup"|13
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="Nestos, Ragnvald"|75px
|rowspan="2" style="background: ; padding: .2em .2em;"|
|rowspan="2"|Ragnvald Nestos<br><br>
|rowspan="2"|<br />–<br />January 7, 1925<br>
|rowspan="2"|Republican/<br />Independent Voters
|1921<br>
|- style="height:2em;"
|1922
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="2" scope="rowgroup"|14
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="Sorlie, Arthur"|75px
|rowspan="3" style="background: ; padding: .2em .2em;"|
|rowspan="2"|Arthur G. Sorlie<br><br>
|rowspan="2"|<br />–<br />August 28, 1928<br>
|rowspan="2"|Republican/<br />Nonpartisan League
|1924
|rowspan="2"|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1926
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|15
|data-sort-value="Maddock, Walter"|75px
|Walter Maddock<br><br>
|<br />–<br />January 9, 1929<br>
|Republican/<br />Nonpartisan League
|style="background:#EEEEEE"|
|colspan="3" style="background:#EEEEEE;"|Vacant
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="2" scope="rowgroup"|16
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="Shafer, George"|75px
|rowspan="2" style="background: ; padding: .2em .2em;"|
|rowspan="2"|George F. Shafer<br><br>
|rowspan="2"|<br />–<br />January 4, 1933<br>
|rowspan="2"|Republican/<br />Independent Voters
|1928
|colspan="2" rowspan="3" style="background: ;"|
|rowspan="2"|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1930
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|17
|data-sort-value="Langer, William"|75px
|rowspan="2" style="background: ; padding: .2em .2em;"|
|William Langer<br><br>
|<br />–<br />July 19, 1934<br>
|Republican/<br />Nonpartisan League
|1932
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|18
|data-sort-value="Olson, Ole"|75px
|Ole H. Olson<br><br>
|<br />–<br />January 7, 1935<br>
|Republican/<br />Nonpartisan League
|style="background:#EEEEEE"|
|colspan="3" style="background:#EEEEEE;"|Vacant
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|19
|data-sort-value="Moodie, Thomas"|75px
|colspan="2" style="background: ;"|
|Thomas H. Moodie<br><br>
|<br />–<br />February 2, 1935<br>
|Democratic
|1934
|colspan="2" style="background: ;"|
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|20
|data-sort-value="Welford, Walter"|75px
|style="background: ; padding: .2em .2em;"|
|style="background: ; padding: .2em .2em;"|
|Walter Welford<br><br>
|<br />–<br />January 6, 1937<br>
|Republican/<br />Nonpartisan League
|style="background:#EEEEEE"|
|colspan="3" style="background:#EEEEEE;"|Vacant
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|21
|data-sort-value="Langer, William"|75px
|colspan="2" style="background:;"|
|William Langer<br><br><br />–<br />January 2, 1939<br>
|Independent
|1936
|colspan="2" rowspan="3" style="background: ;"|
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="3" scope="rowgroup"|22
|rowspan="3" data-sort-value="Moses, John"|75px
|colspan="2" rowspan="3" style="background: ;"|
|rowspan="3"|John Moses<br><br>
|rowspan="3"|<br />–<br />January 2, 1945<br>
|rowspan="3"|Democratic
|1938
|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1940
|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1942
|colspan="2" style="background: ;"|
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="3" scope="rowgroup"|23
|rowspan="3" data-sort-value="Aandahl, Fred"|75px
|colspan="2" rowspan="8" style="background: ;"|
|rowspan="3"|Fred G. Aandahl<br><br>
|rowspan="3"|<br />–<br />January 3, 1951<br>
|rowspan="3"|Republican
|1944
|colspan="2" rowspan="10" style="background: ;"|
|rowspan="3"|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1946
|- style="height:2em;"
|1948
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="3" scope="rowgroup"|24
|rowspan="3" data-sort-value="Brunsdale, Norman"|75px
|rowspan="3"|Norman Brunsdale<br><br>
|rowspan="3"|<br />–<br />January 7, 1957<br>
|rowspan="3"|Republican
|1950
|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1952
|rowspan="2"|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1954
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="2" scope="rowgroup"|25
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="Davis, John"|75px
|rowspan="2"|John E. Davis<br><br>
|rowspan="2"|<br />–<br />January 3, 1961<br>
|rowspan="2"|Republican
|1956
|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1958
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="4" scope="rowgroup"|26
|rowspan="4" data-sort-value="Guy, William"|75px
|colspan="2" rowspan="6" style="background: ;"|
|rowspan="4"|William L. Guy<br><br>
|rowspan="4"|<br />–<br />January 2, 1973<br>
|rowspan="4"|Democratic–<br />Nonpartisan League
|1960
|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1962
|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1964
|colspan="2" style="background: ;"|
|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1968
|colspan="2" style="background: ;"|
|
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="2" scope="rowgroup"|27
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="Link, Arthur"|75px
|rowspan="2"|Arthur A. Link<br><br>
|rowspan="2"|<br />–<br />January 6, 1981<br>
|rowspan="2"|Democratic–<br />Nonpartisan League
|1972
|colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="background: ;"|
|rowspan="2"|
|- style="height:2em;"
|1976
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|28
|data-sort-value="Olson, Allen"|75px
|colspan="2" style="background: ;"|
|Allen I. Olson<br><br>
|<br />–<br />December 31, 1984<br>
|Republican
|rowspan="2"|<br />–<br />December 15, 1992<br>
|rowspan="2"|Democratic–<br />Nonpartisan League
|rowspan="2"|<br />–<br />December 15, 2000<br>
|rowspan="2"|Republican
|rowspan="3"|<br />–<br />December 7, 2010<br>
|rowspan="3"|Republican
|rowspan="2"|<br />–<br />December 15, 2016<br>
|rowspan="2"|Republican
|rowspan="3"|<br />–<br />December 15, 2024<br>
|rowspan="3"|Republican
|<br />–<br />Incumbent
|Republican