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First Lady Kathryn Burgum, left, and Gov. Doug Burgum, right, exit the House chamber after Burgum’s last executive budget proposal as governor at the North Dakota State Capitol on Dec. 4.
Doug Burgum dominated political news in North Dakota in 2024, leaving the governorship and ending the year on his way to playing key roles in a presidential administration, a year after ending his own White House aspirations.
Meanwhile, North Dakota residents elected their first new governor in eight years and the first woman U.S. House member in state history, with Republicans once again dominating the November general election even as a rift continued to divide the state party.
As the year came to a close Kelly Armstrong took office as North Dakota’s 34th governor, pledging to make property tax reform a priority as state lawmakers prepared to gather in January for the 69th Legislative Assembly, which convenes Jan. 7.
State courts also made major rulings on hot-button issues such as guns and abortion.
Kelly Armstrong (left), North Dakota’s 34th governor, and Doug Burgum, the state’s 33rd governor, on Dec. 13.
Burgum, a wealthy former Microsoft executive, announced in January that he would not seek a third term in office, following a year in which he spent much of his time running a presidential campaign before abandoning the bid in December 2023.
He later struck up a friendship with Donald Trump and became a surrogate for him. Trump ultimately passed him over as his running mate choice, but has nominated him for Interior secretary.
“I’ve got to get approved by the Senate; there’s a process to go through, and I think if we’re successful, it’s going to be an honor to be in a role that has a lot of intersections with the state of North Dakota,” Burgum told the Tribune earlier this month.
Gov. Doug Burgum during a talk with the Bismarck Tribune discussing the executive budget and his time in office on Dec. 4.
Burgum also will head Trump’s new National Energy Council, meaning he will steer all federal agencies that regulate energy.
Burgum believes he left the state in good shape after his two terms, and said “It’s fun when you see the advancement of the state.”
He said that when he has met with CEOs from companies overseas, at first “North Dakota is like a blank spot in their mind.” But when the attributes of the state and its business environment are explained, “They want to come and see a place where, where they might think about investing in doing things. So it’s exciting when you get out and on the national or the international level and see with their eyes about how fortunate we are and how well-positioned North Dakota is.”
Gov. Kelly Armstrong welcomes attendees at the Game and Fish Department’s 2024 Habitat and Hunting Access Summit held at Bismarck State College on Dec. 17. Armstrong, a hunter himself, encouraged attendees to collaborate on ways to preserve North Dakota’s multi-generational hunting tradition.
Burgum is succeeded in the governor’s office by Armstrong, who assumed his new duties on Dec. 15. He called it “the honor of a lifetime.” Michelle Strinden, a former state representative from Fargo, was sworn in as lieutenant governor.
Armstrong served in the state Senate for six years beginning in 2012, and also spent nearly three years as chair of the state Republican Party. He was first elected to the U.S. House in 2018, succeeding now-Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. Armstrong gave up another potential term to launch his bid for governor.
Armstrong prevailed over then-Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller in the June primary 73% to 27% to win the GOP nomination to run for governor. In the November general election he cruised to the governor’s office, getting 68% of the vote against Democratic-NPL state Sen. Merrill Piepkorn of Fargo and independent candidate Michael Coachman.
Longtime North Dakota Public Service Commission member Julie Fedorchak is succeeding Armstrong in Congress, after beating Democrat Trygve Hammer in the November general election, getting 69% of the vote. She will be the first woman to represent North Dakota in the U.S. House.
Julie Fedorchak, left, celebrates with husband Mike Fedorchak, right, while waiting to give a victory speech at the North Dakota Republican Party gathering in Bismarck on Nov. 5. In back center is Fedorchak’s daughter Elizabeth Fedorchak. Fedorchak will be the first woman to represent North Dakota in the U.S. House.
Fedorchak prevailed over four other GOP candidates in the June primary, even without gaining the party endorsement at the state convention in April at which a divide between ultraconservative Republicans and more mainstream members of the party — such as Fedorchak — was on display, despite North Dakota GOP Chair Sandi Sanford starting the convention with a call for unity.
Right-wing populist challengers also surfaced in some primary races for state Legislature in the Bismarck-Mandan area.
From left, former Rep. Rick Becker, R-Bismarck, former Rep. Kim Koppelman, R-West Fargo, Gov. Kelly Armstrong, and Sen. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, pose for pictures after the meeting of presidential electors inside the Governor’s Conference Room at the North Dakota Capitol on Dec. 17. The three electors cast the state’s Electoral College votes for Donald Trump.
The in-party battles didn’t change North Dakota’s political landscape status quo, however. Republicans in November dominated all statewide races and the local legislative races. North Dakotans also once again showed majority support for Donald Trump — who got 67% of the vote this time, slightly more than in 2020 and 2016.
North Dakota voters approved two ballot measures — to change terminology used to describe some state institutions, and to reduce the amount of money the state Legislature can spend out of the Legacy Fund principal. But they killed measures to put more stringent requirements on state ballot measures for constitutional amendments, to end the current property tax system and to legalize recreational marijuana.
The property tax measure drew significant opposition from dozens of interest groups including those representing the energy and agriculture industries, local government organizations and nonprofit political advocacy groups.
Despite the ballot measure failing, the property tax issue is set to be a main focus during the 2025 legislative session.
Burgum as governor had been resistant to make changes to the property tax system, advocating instead for income tax reform and zoning changes to reduce local public expenditures. Armstrong, however, has said property taxes will be his primary focus and dozens of bills have already been proposed by legislators.
State abortion policy was thrown into limbo in September after South Central District Judge Bruce Romanick struck down the state’s near-total abortion ban, ruling that the procedure is protected by North Dakota’s constitution until a fetus is viable.
The state’s Attorney General’s Office has appealed the ruling to the North Dakota Supreme Court.
In another significant ruling, the state Supreme Court in December found that the city of Fargo cannot restrict the sale of guns and ammunition from homes. The city sued the state in 2023 after the Legislature passed a law voiding local limits on firearm and ammunition sales. Fargo argued that the law violated the powers given to “home rule” cities, but the Supreme Court ruled that the Legislature had the right to define what was covered by home rule provisions.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump claimed on social media that he urged hockey icon Wayne Gretzky to run for Prime Minister during a Christmas visit. It’s Trump’s latest comment on Canadian politics, following quips about Canada being the U.S.’s 51st state and meeting ‘governor’ Justin Trudeau.
North Dakotans in 2024 witnessed historic wildfires, a change in state leadership, the approval of a controversial carbon dioxide pipeline, conflict at the Bismarck Event Center and several high-profile crime cases. The Tribune is running a five-part series looking back on the year and the major happenings in politics, weather, energy, crime and the Bismarck-Mandan area.
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First Lady Kathryn Burgum, left, and Gov. Doug Burgum, right, exit the House chamber after Burgum’s last executive budget proposal as governor at the North Dakota State Capitol on Dec. 4.
Kelly Armstrong (left), North Dakota’s 34th governor, and Doug Burgum, the state’s 33rd governor, on Dec. 13.
Gov. Kelly Armstrong welcomes attendees at the Game and Fish Department’s 2024 Habitat and Hunting Access Summit held at Bismarck State College on Dec. 17. Armstrong, a hunter himself, encouraged attendees to collaborate on ways to preserve North Dakota’s multi-generational hunting tradition.
Julie Fedorchak, left, celebrates with husband Mike Fedorchak, right, while waiting to give a victory speech at the North Dakota Republican Party gathering in Bismarck on Nov. 5. In back center is Fedorchak’s daughter Elizabeth Fedorchak. Fedorchak will be the first woman to represent North Dakota in the U.S. House.
From left, former Rep. Rick Becker, R-Bismarck, former Rep. Kim Koppelman, R-West Fargo, Gov. Kelly Armstrong, and Sen. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, pose for pictures after the meeting of presidential electors inside the Governor’s Conference Room at the North Dakota Capitol on Dec. 17. The three electors cast the state’s Electoral College votes for Donald Trump.
Gov. Doug Burgum during a talk with the Bismarck Tribune discussing the executive budget and his time in office on Dec. 4.
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