List of governors of North Dakota

The governor of North Dakota is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Dakota. The current officeholder is Republican Doug Burgum. The Governor of North Dakota has the power to sign or veto laws and to call the Legislative Assembly into emergency session. The officeholder, who is also chairman of the North Dakota Industrial Commission, has an ex officio residence. There are no limits on the number of terms a governor may serve.

The following is a list of governors of North Dakota.

Governors of Dakota Territory[]

Governors of North Dakota[]

Parties

Republican (16) Democratic-Independent (1) Democratic (3) Republican/NPL (7) Republican/IVA (2) Democratic-NPL (3)

#		Took office	Left office	Party	Lt. Governor (Party of Lt. Gov. noted if not the same)		Notes
1	John Miller (1843–1908)	November 20, 1889	January 7, 1891	Republican		Alfred Dickey
2	Andrew H. Burke (1850–1918)	January 7, 1891	January 3, 1893	Republican		Roger Allin
3	Eli C. D. Shortridge (1830–1908)	January 3, 1893	January 10, 1895	Democratic-Independent		Elmer D. Wallace
4	Roger Allin (1848–1936)	January 10, 1895	January 6, 1897	Republican		John H. Worst	^{[note 1]}
5	Frank A. Briggs (1858–1898)	January 6, 1897	August 9, 1898	Republican		Joseph M. Devine
6	Joseph M. Devine (1861–1938)	August 9, 1898	January 3, 1899	Republican	No Lieutenant Governor		^{[note 1]}
7	Frederick B. Fancher (1852–1944)	January 3, 1899	January 10, 1901	Republican	No Lieutenant Governor
8	Frank White (1856–1940)	January 10, 1901	January 4, 1905	Republican		David Bartlett	^{[note 2]}
9	Elmore Y. Sarles (1859–1929)	January 4, 1905	January 9, 1907	Republican		David Bartlett
10	John Burke (1859–1937)	January 9, 1907	January 8, 1913	Democratic		Robert S. Lewis	^{[note 2]}^{[note 3]}
10	John Burke (1859–1937)	January 9, 1907	January 8, 1913	Democratic		Usher L. Burdick
11	L. B. Hanna (1861–1948)	January 8, 1913	January 3, 1917	Republican		Anton Kraabel	^{[note 4]}
11	L. B. Hanna (1861–1948)	January 8, 1913	January 3, 1917	Republican		John H. Fraine	^{[note 4]}
12	Lynn Frazier (1874–1947)	January 3, 1917	November 23, 1921	Republican/NPL		Anton Kraabel (Republican)	^{[note 5]}
12	Lynn Frazier (1874–1947)	January 3, 1917	November 23, 1921	Republican/NPL		Howard R. Wood (Republican)	^{[note 5]}
13	Ragnvald A. Nestos (1877–1942)	November 23, 1921	January 7, 1925	Republican/IVA		Howard R. Wood (Republican)
13	Ragnvald A. Nestos (1877–1942)	November 23, 1921	January 7, 1925	Republican/IVA		Frank H. Hyland
14	Arthur G. Sorlie (1874–1928)	January 7, 1925	August 28, 1928	Republican/NPL		Walter Maddock
15	Walter Maddock (1880–1951)	August 28, 1928	January 9, 1929	Republican/NPL	No Lieutenant Governor		^{[note 1]}
16	George F. Shafer (1888–1948)	January 9, 1929	December 31, 1932	Republican/IVA		John W. Carr
17	William Langer (1886–1959)	December 31, 1932	June 21, 1934	Republican/NPL		John W. Carr	^{[note 6]}
17	William Langer (1886–1959)	December 31, 1932	June 21, 1934	Republican/NPL		Ole H. Olson	^{[note 6]}
18	Ole H. Olson (1872–1954)	June 21, 1934	January 7, 1935	Republican/NPL	No Lieutenant Governor		^{[note 1]}
19	Thomas H. Moodie (1878–1948)	January 7, 1935	February 2, 1935	Democratic		Walter Welford (Republican/NPL)
20	Walter Welford (1868–1952)	February 2, 1935	January 6, 1937	Republican/NPL	No Lieutenant Governor		^{[note 1]}
21	William Langer (1886–1959)	January 6, 1937	January 5, 1939	Republican/NPL		Thorstein H. H. Thoresen	^{[note 5]}^{[note 6]}
22	John Moses (1885–1945)	January 5, 1939	January 4, 1945	Democratic		Jack A. Patterson (Republican)	^{[note 5]}
						Oscar W. Hagen (Republican)
						Henry Holt (Democratic)
23	Fred G. Aandahl (1897–1966)	January 4, 1945	January 3, 1951	Republican		Clarence P. Dahl	^{[note 4]}
24	Norman Brunsdale (1891–1978)	January 3, 1951	January 9, 1957	Republican		Ray Schnell	^{[note 5]}
24	Norman Brunsdale (1891–1978)	January 3, 1951	January 9, 1957	Republican		Clarence P. Dahl	^{[note 5]}
25	John E. Davis (1913–1990)	January 9, 1957	January 4, 1961	Republican		Francis Clyde Duffy
25	John E. Davis (1913–1990)	January 9, 1957	January 4, 1961	Republican		Clarence P. Dahl
26	William L. Guy (1919–2013)	January 4, 1961	January 2, 1973	Democratic-NPL		Orville W. Hagen (Republican)
						Frank A. Wenstrom (Republican)
						Charles Tighe (Democratic-NPL)
						Richard F. Larsen (Republican)
27	Arthur A. Link (1914–2010)	January 2, 1973	January 6, 1981	Democratic-NPL		Wayne Sanstead	^{[note 4]}
28	Allen I. Olson (b. 1938)	January 6, 1981	January 1, 1985	Republican		Ernest Sands
29	George A. Sinner (1928–2018)	January 1, 1985	December 15, 1992	Democratic-NPL		Ruth Meiers
29	George A. Sinner (1928–2018)	January 1, 1985	December 15, 1992	Democratic-NPL		Lloyd Omdahl
30	Ed Schafer (b. 1946)	December 15, 1992	December 15, 2000	Republican		Rosemarie Myrdal	^{[note 7]}
31	John Hoeven (b. 1957)	December 15, 2000	December 7, 2010	Republican		Jack Dalrymple	^{[note 5]}
32	Jack Dalrymple (b. 1948)	December 7, 2010	December 15, 2016	Republican		Drew Wrigley	^{[note 1]}
33	Doug Burgum (b. 1956)	December 15, 2016	Incumbent	Republican		Brent Sanford

Succession[]

Other high offices held[]

This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented North Dakota except where noted.

Governor	Gubernatorial term	U.S. Congress		Other offices held
Governor	Gubernatorial term	House	Senate	Other offices held
Frank White	1901–1905			Treasurer of the United States
John Burke	1907–1913			Treasurer of the United States
L. B. Hanna	1913–1917	H
Lynn Frazier	1917–1921		S
William Langer	1932–1934 1937–1939		S
John Moses	1939–1945		S
Fred G. Aandahl	1945–1951	H		United States Assistant Secretary of the Interior
Norman Brunsdale	1951–1957		S
Arthur A. Link	1973–1981	H
Ed Schafer	1992–2000			United States Secretary of Agriculture
John Hoeven	2000–2010		S

Living former governors of North Dakota[]

As of March 2018, four former governors of North Dakota are alive. The oldest living former governor is Allen I. Olson (served 1981–85, born 1938). The most recent death of a former governor was George A. Sinner (served 1985–1992, born 1928), who died on March 9, 2018.

Governor	Gubernatorial term	Date of birth (and age)
Allen I. Olson	1981–1985	(1938-11-05) November 5, 1938 (age 82)
Ed Schafer	1992–2000	(1946-08-08) August 8, 1946 (age 75)
John Hoeven	2000–2010	(1957-03-13) March 13, 1957 (age 64)
Jack Dalrymple	2010–2016	(1948-10-16) October 16, 1948 (age 72)

Notes[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Served as Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota prior to term as Governor
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Served as Treasurer of the United States after term as Governor
^ Served as Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court after term as Governor
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Served in the United States House of Representatives after term as Governor
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Served in the United States Senate after term as Governor
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Served two nonconsecutive terms as Governor
^ Served as the United States Secretary of Agriculture after term as Governor

External links[]

State Historical Society of North Dakota, North Dakota Governors

[LtGov-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Served as Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota prior to term as Governor

[USTreas-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b Served as Treasurer of the United States after term as Governor

[NDChiefJustice-3] Served as Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court after term as Governor

[House-4] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Served in the United States House of Representatives after term as Governor

[Senate-5] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Served in the United States Senate after term as Governor

[nonconsec-6] Jump up to: ^a ^b Served two nonconsecutive terms as Governor

[USAgSec-7] Served as the United States Secretary of Agriculture after term as Governor

[note 1]

[note 2]

[note 3]

[note 4]

[note 5]

[note 6]

[note 7]

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