North Dakota State Senate
General Information
Party control:	Republican
Session start:	No regular legislative session
Session end:	No regular legislative session
Term length:	4 years
Term limits:	2 terms (8 years)
Redistricting:	Legislature-dominant
Salary:	$592/month + per diem
Members
Total:	47
Democrats:	5
Republicans:	42
Other:	0
Vacancies:	0
Leadership
President:	Michelle Strinden (R)
Maj. Leader:	David Hogue (R)
Min. Leader:	Kathy Hogan (D)
Elections
Last election:	November 5, 2024
Next election:	November 3, 2026

TheNorth Dakota State Senate is theupper chamber of theNorth Dakota Legislative Assembly. Alongside theNorth Dakota House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the North Dakota state government and works alongside thegovernor of North Dakota to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the North Dakota State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The North Dakota State Senate meets in the state capitol building inBismarck, North Dakota.

This page contains the following information on the North Dakota State Senate.

• Which partycontrols the chamber
• The chamber'scurrent membership
• Partisan control of the chamberover time
• Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
• Adistrict map
• Howredistricting works in the state
• Legislation currently under consideration
• Legislative session dates
• Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
• A list ofcommittees

Party control

Current partisan control

The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the North Dakota State Senate as of February 2026:

Members

Leadership

Thelieutenant governor of North Dakota serves as president of the Senate.

Leadership and members

• Senate president:Michelle Strinden (R)
• Senate president pro tempore:Brad Bekkedahl (R)
• Majority leader:David Hogue (R)
• Minority leader:Kathy Hogan (D)

Salaries

See also:Comparison of state legislative salaries

Swearing in dates

See also:When state legislators assume office after a general election

North Dakota legislators assume office on December 1.^[2]

Membership qualifications

See also:State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article 4, Section 5 of theNorth Dakota Constitution states:^[3]

Historical party control

Republicans won control of the North Dakota State Senate in 1994. In2024, they won a 42-5 majority.

The table below shows the partisan history of the North Dakota Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin'sParty Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Trifecta history

Astate government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, North Dakota was under the following types of trifecta control:

• Democratic trifecta: None
• Republican trifecta: 1995-2023
• Divided government: 1992-1994

Elections

Elections by year

North Dakota state senators serve staggered,four-year terms and half of the Senate is up for election every two years. North Dakota holds elections for its legislature in even years.

2026

See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2026

Elections for theNorth Dakota State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is onNovember 3, 2026. The primary isJune 9, 2026. The filing deadline isApril 6, 2026.

2024

See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2024

Elections for theNorth Dakota State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was onNovember 5, 2024. The primary wasJune 11, 2024. The filing deadline wasApril 8, 2024.

Democrats gained one seat in the Nevada State Senate in the 2024 elections, but Republicans maintained the majority.

2022

See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2022

Elections for theNorth Dakota State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for June 14, 2022. The filing deadline was April 11, 2022.

The Republican Party expanded its majority by three seats in the 2022 general election, from 40-7 to 43-4.

2020

See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2020

Elections for the office ofNorth Dakota State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 9, 2020. The filing deadline was April 6, 2020.

In the 2020 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the North Dakota State Senate from 37-10 to 40-7.

2018

See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2018

Elections for theNorth Dakota State Senate took place in 2018. Anopen primary election took place on June 12, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline wasApril 9, 2018.^[5]

In the 2018 elections, Republicans lost one seat but maintained their majority in the North Dakota State Senate.

2016

See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for theNorth Dakota State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 14, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was April 11, 2016. A total of23 seats out of the 47 seats in theNorth Dakota State Senate were up for election in 2016.

Heading into the election, Republicans held a 32-15 majority. Republicans gained six seats in the election, giving them a 38-9 majority.

Click [show] to see election information dating back to 2000

2014 See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2014 Elections for theNorth Dakota State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 10, 2014. The general election was held onNovember 4, 2014. Thesignature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 7, 2014. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 33-14 majority. Republicans lost one seat in the election, giving them a 32-15 majority. North Dakota State Senate Party As of November 3, 2014 After November 4, 2014      Democratic Party 14 15      Republican Party 33 32 Total 47 47 2012 See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2012 Elections for the office of North Dakota State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on June 12, 2012, and the general election was held onNovember 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was April 13, 2012. Atotal of 23 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 35-12 majority. Republicans lost one seat in the election, giving them a 33-13 majority with one vacancy. North Dakota State Senate Party As of November 5, 2012 After the 2012 Election      Democratic Party 12 13      Republican Party 35 33      Vacancy 1 Total 47 47 During the2012 election, the total value of contributions to the 50 Senate candidates was $355,067. The top 10 contributors were:[6] 2012 Donors, North Dakota State Senate Donor Amount North Dakota Senate Democratic-NPL Caucus $25,600 North Dakota Senate Republican Caucus $18,605 Lignite Energy Council $16,000 North Dakota Association of Telecommunications Cooperatives $11,750 Boilermakers Local 647 $11,500 North Dakota Association of Realtors $11,000 North Dakota Petroleum Council $10,050 North Dakota Education Association $9,959 North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives $8,600 Friends of Kent Conrad $8,500 The following table details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election. 2012 Margin of Victory, North Dakota State Senate District Winner Margin of Victory Total Votes Top Opponent District 12 John Grabinger 1.9% 5,800 Bernie Satrom District 46 George B. Sinner 4.2% 7,569 Jim Roers District 44 Tim Flakoll 4.8% 7,375 Rick Olek District 4 John Warner 4.9% 6,368 Daryl J. Lies District 20 Philip Murphy 7.7% 6,155 Melvin Erdmann District 6 David O'Connell 8.8% 7,463 Pamela Smith District 24 Larry Robinson 11.8% 6,873 Keith E. Hovland District 42 Mac Schneider 14.9% 4,988 Ross Lien District 18 Constance Triplett 19.9% 5,444 David Waterman District 19 Tom Campbell 20.2% 5,813 Julius M. Wangler 2010 See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2010 Elections for the office of North Dakota State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on June 8, 2010, and the general election was held onNovember 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was March 8, 2010. Atotal of 24 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 26-21 majority. Republicans gained nine seats in the election, giving them a 35-12 majority. North Dakota State Senate Party As of November 1, 2010 After the 2010 Election      Democratic Party 21 12      Republican Party 26 35 Total 47 47 During the2010 election, the total value of contributions to the 43 Senate candidates was $271,222. The top 10 contributors were:[7] 2010 Donors, North Dakota State Senate Donor Amount North Dakota Senate Democratic-NPL Caucus $26,750 North Dakota Association of Realtors $18,550 North Dakota Republican Senate Caucus $15,602 North Dakota Association of Telecommunications Cooperatives $13,000 Lignite Energy Council $12,500 DAK PAC $12,000 Boilermakers Local 647 $11,200 North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives $11,050 North Dakota Education Association $10,750 Marathon Oil $9,600 2008 See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2008 Elections for the office of North Dakota State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 10, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. Atotal of 23 seats were up for election. During the 2008 election, the total contributions to Senate candidates amounted to $445,898. The top 10 contributors were:[8] 2008 Donors, North Dakota State Senate Donor Amount North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party $66,850 North Dakota Republican Party $61,747 DAK PAC $29,000 Boilermakers Local 647 $21,100 North Dakota Lignite Council $13,500 North Dakota Association of Telecommunications Cooperatives $13,000 North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives $10,200 Monsanto $9,900 North Dakota Petroleum Council $9,900 North Dakota Senate Republican Caucus $9,000 2006 See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2006 Elections for the office of North Dakota State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 13, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. Atotal of 24 seats were up for election. During the2006 election, the total value of contributions to the 50 Senate candidates was $237,194. The top 10 contributors were:[9] 2006 Donors, North Dakota State Senate Donor Amount North Dakota Republican Senate Caucus $31,471 Dak Pac $28,000 North Dakota Senate Democratic-NPL Caucus $19,000 North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party $12,000 North Dakota Association of Telecommunications Cooperatives $10,450 North Dakota Lignite Council $10,200 North Dakota Association of Realtors $8,676 North Dakota Education Association $8,000 North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives $5,700 North Dakota Chiropractic Association $5,050 2004 See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2004 Elections for the office of North Dakota State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 8, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. Atotal of 23 seats were up for election. During the2004 election, the total value of contributions to the 43 Senate candidates was $163,091. The top 10 contributors were:[10] 2004 Donors, North Dakota State Senate Donor Amount North Dakota Republican Party $19,136 North Dakota Senate Democratic-NPL Caucus $11,250 Senate Republican Caucus of North Dakota $11,200 Republican State Leadership Cmte $10,000 North Dakota Lignite Council $9,000 North Dakota Public Employees Association $7,175 North Dakota Association of Telephone Cooperatives $7,150 North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives $5,800 Dak Pac $5,500 North Dakota Chiropractic Association $5,100 2002 See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2002 Elections for the office of North Dakota State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 11, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. Atotal of 26 seats were up for election. During the2002 election, the total value of contributions to the 51 Senate candidates was $242,201. The top 10 contributors were:[11] 2002 Donors, North Dakota State Senate Donor Amount Dak Pac $46,000 North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party $22,000 Senate Republican Caucus of North Dakota $17,500 North Dakota Senate Democratic-NPL Caucus $13,800 North Dakota Education Association $11,075 North Dakota Public Employees Association $10,750 North Dakota Lignite Council $9,100 North Dakota Democratic-NPL District 47 $6,200 International Brotherhood of Teamsters $5,000 North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives $4,100 2000 See also:North Dakota State Senate elections, 2000 Elections for the office of North Dakota State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 13, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. Atotal of 25 seats were up for election. During the2000 election, the total value of contributions to the 53 Senate candidates was $133,970. The top 10 contributors were:[12] 2000 Donors, North Dakota State Senate Donor Amount Oshaughnessy, Roger $25,000 Nelson, Gary $25,000 North Dakota Republican Senate Caucus $12,125 North Dakota Lignite Council $6,200 Nelson, Joseph $5,000 Korsmo, John $5,000 North Dakota Association of Realtors $3,200 Life Underwriters of North Dakota $2,250 North Dakota Senate Democratic-NPL Caucus $2,245 National Rifle Association $1,900

Term limits

See also:State legislatures with term limits

TheNorth Dakota Legislative Assembly is one of16 state legislatures with term limits. It has been a term-limited state legislature since North Dakota voters approvedConstitutional Measure 1 in 2022, as aninitiated constitutional amendment. The first year that theterm limits enacted in 2022 will impact the ability of incumbents to run for office is 2030. Under North Dakota's term limits, state senators can serve no more than two four-year terms.

Vacancies

See also:How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in theNorth Dakota State Legislature, the vacancy is filled by the district committee of the political party that holds the seat. A replacement must be named within 21 days of the vacancy. The appointed person shall serve until the next general election which is scheduled for at least 94 days after the vacancy occurs. Qualified electors in a district where a vacancy exists can also petition for a special election to be called by the governor to fill the remaining term.^[13]

See sources:North Dakota Cent. Code §44-02-03.1

District map

See also:North Dakota state legislative districts

The state of North Dakota has 47 state Senate districts. Each district elects one senator.

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

Redistricting

See also:Redistricting in North Dakota

Because North Dakota has only one congressional district, congressional redistricting is not necessary. Thestate legislature draws state legislative district boundaries. State legislative district lines are subject to veto by thegovernor.^[14]

TheNorth Dakota Constitution requires that state legislative districts be "compact and contiguous."^[14][15]

2020

See also:Redistricting in North Dakota after the 2020 census

On May 14, 2025, a federal appeals court overturned a lower court ruling that struck down the state's 2021 legislative maps. On January 8, 2024, theU.S. District Court of North Dakota had ordered the state to adopt a remedial legislative map proposed by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the Spirit Lake Tribe. In the order, JudgePeter Welte said that the new map "requires changes to only three districts ... and is the least intrusive option that complies with the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution."^[16][17]

The U.S. District Court of North Dakota struck down the state's legislative map on November 17, 2023, saying in its ruling in the caseTurtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. the Secretary of State of North Dakota, "The Secretary is permanently enjoined from administering, enforcing, preparing for, or in any way permitting the nomination or election of members of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly from districts 9 and 15 and subdistrict 9A and 9B. The Secretary and Legislative Assembly shall have until December 22, 2023, to adopt a plan to remedy the violation of Section 2."^[18] North Dakota Gov.Doug Burgum (R) signed legislation enacting the state's legislative map on November 11, 2021.

Reactions to 2024 state legislative maps

On January 9, 2024, the Secretary of State’s Office filed an appeal with the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals of the U.S. District Court of North Dakota's order in theTurtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. the Secretary of State of North Dakota case.^[19]

The Secretary of State’s Office also released a statement saying, “Any action taken by the appeals court would not impact the maps used for the 2024 election cycle. ... Secretary of State Michael Howe will be moving forward for the 2024 election with Judge Welte’s court-imposed map.”^[19]

District map after 2020 redistricting

Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for North Dakota’s 2024 state legislative elections.

This map took effect for North Dakota's 2022 legislative elections.

2010

See also:Redistricting in North Dakota after the 2010 census

North Dakota received its local census data on March 15, 2011. The state's population grew by approximately 5 percent to 672,591, but more rural districts lost population to more urban districts. The legislature held a special session in November 2011 after preliminary approval by the Interim Legislative Redistricting Committee and passed the proposed plan on November 8. The plan cut two rural districts, added districts in Fargo and Bismarck, and paired over a dozen incumbents. Gov.Jack Dalrymple (R) signed the plan into law on November 9.

Sessions

Legislation

The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the North Dakota State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated byBillTrack50.

Dates of legislative sessions in North Dakota by year

2025

See also:2025 North Dakota legislative session andDates of 2025 state legislative sessions

In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 7, 2025, and adjourn on May 3, 2025.

About legislative sessions in North Dakota

TheTenth Amendment of theU.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.^[26] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions,legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

Article IV of the North Dakota Constitution establishes when theNorth Dakota Legislative Assembly, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 7 of Article IV states that the Assembly is to convene in regular session every January after a legislative election. This means that the Assembly convenes in January of every odd-numbered year. Section 7 specifies that the convening date is to be the first Tuesday after the third day in January, unless this date is changed by law. Section 7 limits the length of regular sessions to no more than eighty days every two years.

Legislative roles and procedures

Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includesveto overrides,the role of the legislature in the state budget, andprocedures for filling membership vacancies.

Veto overrides

See also:Veto overrides in state legislatures

State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in North Dakota are listed below.

How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.

Authority:Article V, Section 9 of theNorth Dakota Constitution.

Role in state budget

See also:North Dakota state budget and finances

North Dakotaon

Check outBallotpedia articles about policy in your state on:

Budgets •Civil liberties •Education •Elections •Energy •Environment •Healthcare •Pensions

The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:^[27]

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies betweenApril and May of the year preceding the start of the new biennium.
2. State agencies submit their budget requests to thegovernor betweenJuly and October.
3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to thestate legislature inDecember.
4. The legislature typically adopts a budget inApril. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The new biennium begins inJuly.

North Dakota is one of 44 states in which the governor hasline item veto authority.^[27][28]

The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the state legislature is required to pass a balanced budget.^[27]

Committees

See also:List of committees in North Dakota state government

Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

• Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
• Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
• Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The North Dakota State Senate has 13 standing committees:

Constitutional amendments

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process forreferring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states,initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are alsomany other types of statewide measures.

The methods in which the North Dakota Constitution can be amended:

See also:Article III andSection 16, Article IV, of the North Dakota Constitution andLaws governing ballot measures in North Dakota

TheNorth Dakota Constitution provides three mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a citizen-initiated process, a legislative process, and a state constitutional convention. North Dakota requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.

Initiative

See also:Initiated constitutional amendment

Aninitiated constitutional amendment is acitizen-initiated ballot measure that amends astate's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.

In North Dakota, thenumber of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 4% of the state's population reported by the last decennial census. Each initiative has its own unique deadline of one year after it was approved to circulate. The completed petition must be submitted at least 120 days prior to the election.

Legislature

See also:Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for theNorth Dakota State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 48 votes in theNorth Dakota House of Representatives and 24 votes in theNorth Dakota State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Convention

See also:Convention-referred constitutional amendment

According toSection 1 of Article III of theNorth Dakota Constitution, thestate's initiative petition process is used to call aconstitutional convention.

See also

Elections	North Dakota State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
North Dakota State Senate elections, 2026 North Dakota State Senate elections, 2024 North Dakota State Senate elections, 2022 North Dakota State Senate elections, 2020 North Dakota State Senate elections, 2018	North Dakota Legislative Assembly North Dakota House of Representatives Governor of North Dakota North Dakota Supreme Court	State legislative elections, 2026 State legislative elections, 2025 State legislative elections, 2024 State legislative elections, 2023 State legislative elections, 2022 State legislative elections, 2021 State legislative elections, 2020 State legislative elections, 2019	State government trifectas State government triplexes State executives State courts Ballot measures The State Legislative Decade

External links

• North Dakota Legislative Branch

Footnotes

	v • e State ofNorth Dakota Bismarck (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? |Elections in 2026 |How to vote |How to run for office |Ballot measures
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