List of governors of North Dakota facts for kids

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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 Doug Burgum.

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.

Governors of the State of North Dakota

No.	Governor				Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1				John Miller (1843–1908)	November 20, 1889 – January 7, 1891 (did not run)	Republican	1889			Dickey, AlfredAlfred Dickey
2				Andrew H. Burke (1850–1918)	January 7, 1891 – January 4, 1893 (lost election)	Republican	1890			Allin, RogerRoger Allin
3				Eli C. D. Shortridge (1830–1908)	January 4, 1893 – January 9, 1895 (did not run)	Populist	1892			Wallace, Elmer D.Elmer D. Wallace
4				Roger Allin (1848–1936)	January 9, 1895 – January 7, 1897 (lost nomination)	Republican	1894			Worst, John H.John H. Worst
5				Frank A. Briggs (1858–1898)	January 7, 1897 – August 9, 1898 (died in office)	Republican	1896			Devine, Joseph M.Joseph M. Devine
6				Joseph M. Devine (1861–1938)	August 9, 1898 – January 3, 1899 (did not run)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
7				Frederick B. Fancher (1852–1944)	January 3, 1899 – January 7, 1901 (withdrew)	Republican	1898			Devine, Joseph M.Joseph M. Devine
8				Frank White (1856–1940)	January 7, 1901 – January 4, 1905 (did not run)	Republican	1900			Bartlett, DavidDavid Bartlett
							1902
9				Elmore Y. Sarles (1859–1929)	January 4, 1905 – January 9, 1907 (lost election)	Republican	1904
10				John Burke (1859–1937)	January 9, 1907 – January 8, 1913 (did not run)	Democratic	1906			Lewis, Robert S.Robert S. Lewis
							1908
							1910			Burdick, Usher L.Usher L. Burdick
11				L. B. Hanna (1861–1948)	January 8, 1913 – January 3, 1917 (did not run)	Republican	1912			Kraabel, AntonAnton Kraabel
							1914			Fraine, John H.John H. Fraine
12				Lynn Frazier (1874–1947)	January 3, 1917 – November 23, 1921 (recalled)	Republican/ Nonpartisan League	1916			Kraabel, AntonAnton Kraabel
							1918			Wood, Howard R.Howard R. Wood
							1920
13				Ragnvald Nestos (1877–1942)	November 23, 1921 – January 7, 1925 (lost nomination)	Republican/ Independent Voters	1921 (recall)
							1922			Hyland, Frank H.Frank H. Hyland
14				Arthur G. Sorlie (1874–1928)	January 7, 1925 – August 28, 1928 (died in office)	Republican/ Nonpartisan League	1924			Maddock, WalterWalter Maddock
							1926
15				Walter Maddock (1880–1951)	August 28, 1928 – January 9, 1929 (lost election)	Republican/ Nonpartisan League	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
16				George F. Shafer (1888–1948)	January 9, 1929 – January 4, 1933 (did not run)	Republican/ Independent Voters	1928			Carr, John W.John W. Carr
							1930
17				William Langer (1886–1959)	January 4, 1933 – July 19, 1934 (removed)	Republican/ Nonpartisan League	1932			Olson, Ole H.Ole H. Olson
18				Ole H. Olson (1872–1954)	July 19, 1934 – January 7, 1935 (did not run)	Republican/ Nonpartisan League	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
19				Thomas H. Moodie (1878–1948)	January 7, 1935 – February 2, 1935 (removed)	Democratic	1934			Welford, WalterWalter Welford
20				Walter Welford (1868–1952)	February 2, 1935 – January 6, 1937 (lost election)	Republican/ Nonpartisan League	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
21				William Langer (1886–1959)	January 6, 1937 – January 2, 1939 (did not run)	Independent	1936			Thoresen, Thorstein H. H.Thorstein H. H. Thoresen
22				John Moses (1885–1945)	January 2, 1939 – January 2, 1945 (did not run)	Democratic	1938			Patterson, Jack A.Jack A. Patterson
							1940			Hagen, Oscar W.Oscar W. Hagen
							1942			Holt, HenryHenry Holt
23				Fred G. Aandahl (1897–1966)	January 2, 1945 – January 3, 1951 (did not run)	Republican	1944			Dahl, Clarence P.Clarence P. Dahl
							1946
							1948
24				Norman Brunsdale (1891–1978)	January 3, 1951 – January 7, 1957 (did not run)	Republican	1950			Schnell, RayRay Schnell
							1952			Dahl, Clarence P.Clarence P. Dahl
							1954
25				John E. Davis (1913–1990)	January 7, 1957 – January 3, 1961 (did not run)	Republican	1956			Duffy, Francis ClydeFrancis Clyde Duffy
							1958			Dahl, Clarence P.Clarence P. Dahl
26				William L. Guy (1919–2013)	January 3, 1961 – January 2, 1973 (did not run)	Democratic– Nonpartisan League	1960			Hagen, Orville W.Orville W. Hagen
							1962			Wenstrom, Frank A.Frank A. Wenstrom
							1964			Tighe, CharlesCharles Tighe
							1968			Larsen, Richard F.Richard F. Larsen
27				Arthur A. Link (1914–2010)	January 2, 1973 – January 6, 1981 (lost election)	Democratic– Nonpartisan League	1972			Sanstead, WayneWayne Sanstead
							1976
28				Allen I. Olson (b. 1938)	January 6, 1981 – December 31, 1984 (lost election)	Republican	1980			Sands, ErnestErnest Sands
29				George A. Sinner (1928–2018)	January 1, 1985 – December 15, 1992 (did not run)	Democratic– Nonpartisan League	1984			Meiers, RuthRuth Meiers
							1988			Omdahl, LloydLloyd Omdahl
30				Ed Schafer (b. 1946)	December 15, 1992 – December 15, 2000 (did not run)	Republican	1992			Myrdal, RosemarieRosemarie Myrdal
							1996
31				John Hoeven (b. 1957)	December 15, 2000 – December 7, 2010 (resigned)	Republican	2000			Dalrymple, JackJack Dalrymple
							2004
							2008
32				Jack Dalrymple (b. 1948)	December 7, 2010 – December 15, 2016 (did not run)	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor			Wrigley, DrewDrew Wrigley
							2012
33				Doug Burgum (b. 1956)	December 15, 2016 – Incumbent	Republican	2016			Sanford, BrentBrent Sanford
							2020
										Miller, TammyTammy Miller

See also

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#North Dakota