2014 North Dakota elections

A general election was held in the U.S. state of North Dakota on November 4, 2014. Five of North Dakota's executive officers were up for election as well as the state's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives. Primary elections were held on June 10, 2014.[1]

Attorney General

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Incumbent Republican Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, who has served in the office since January 1, 2001, was re-elected to a fifth term.[2]

Kiara Kraus-Parr, an attorney and adjunct law professor at the University of North Dakota, ran for the seat on behalf of the Democrats.[3]

North Dakota Attorney General election, 2014[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Wayne Stenehjem 181,678 74.06
Democratic–NPL Kiara Kraus-Parr 63,255 25.78
Write-in 395 0.16
Total votes 245,328 100.00
Republican hold

Secretary of State

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Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Alvin Jaeger, who has served in the office since January 1, 1993, was re-elected to a sixth term.[5]

Non-profit director, former state representative, and former state senator April Fairfield ran for the Democrats.[6] Businessman, perennial candidate, and Chairman of the Libertarian Party of North Dakota Roland Riemers ran for the Libertarians.[7]

North Dakota Secretary of State election, 2014[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Alvin Jaeger 152,085 62.39
Democratic–NPL April Fairfield 78,474 32.19
Libertarian Roland Riemers 12,920 5.30
Write-in 278 0.11
Total votes 243,757 100.00
Republican hold

Commissioner of Agriculture

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Incumbent Republican Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, who has served in the office since April 6, 2009, was re-elected to a second term.[2]

Goehring was the only Republican or Democrat to face a contested nomination for any statewide position. After he made insensitive comments to female staffers, farmer and nurse Judy Estenson challenged him for the Republican nomination.[8][9] The North Dakota Farm Bureau, which Goehring was a former vice president of, opposed his bid for re-election,[10] and he announced that if did not win the Republican endorsement, he would run in the primary in June, though he ruled out running as an independent in the general election.[11][12] At the Republican convention on April 6, 2014,[13] Goehring defeated Estenson by 624 votes to 245.[14]

Rancher, former state senator and 2012 gubernatorial nominee Ryan Taylor ran against Goehring for the Democrats.[15][16]

Goehring raised more money but Taylor, who ran on a platform of tighter regulation of the state's oil industry, is a strong campaigner and kept the race tight.[17]

Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Doug
Goehring (R)
Ryan
Taylor (D)
Other Undecided
Mellman Group[18][note 1] May 5–8, 2014 600 ± 4% 36% 36% 28%
  1. ^ Poll for the North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party
North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner election, 2014[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Doug Goehring 139,597 56.96
Democratic–NPL Ryan Taylor 105,094 42.88
Write-in 377 0.15
Total votes 245,068 100.00
Republican hold

Tax Commissioner

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Incumbent Republican Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger, who was appointed to the office on January 1, 2014,[19] after Republican incumbent Cory Fong resigned to join the private sector,[20] was elected to a first full term.[21]

Democratic attorney Jason Astrup and Libertarian television producer Anthony Mangnall also ran for the office.[7][22]

North Dakota Tax Commissioner election, 2014[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ryan Rauschenberger 135,329 56.76
Democratic–NPL Jason Astrup 87,516 36.71
Libertarian Anthony Mangnall 15,238 6.39
Write-in 344 0.14
Total votes 238,427 100.00
Republican hold

Public Service Commission

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Two of the three seats on the North Dakota Public Service Commission were up for election.

Incumbent Republican Commissioner 2 Julie Fedorchak, who was appointed to the position in January 2013 after Kevin Cramer resigned to join the House of Representatives,[23] was elected in a special election to fill the remaining two years of the term.[24] State Senator Tyler Axness ran for the Democrats.[25]

North Dakota Public Service Commissioner 2 special election, 2014[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Julie Fedorchak 156,596 65.99
Democratic–NPL Tyler Axness 80,319 33.84
Write-in 401 0.17
Total votes 237,316 100.00
Republican hold

Incumbent Republican Commissioner 3 Brian Kalk, the Chairman of the commission, was re-elected to a second term in office.[26] Democratic businessman Todd Reisenauer also ran.[27]

North Dakota Public Service Commissioner 3 election, 2014[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Kalk 154,409 64.79
Democratic–NPL Todd Reisenauer 83,557 35.06
Write-in 370 0.16
Total votes 238,336 100.00
Republican hold

United States House of Representatives

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North Dakota's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives was also up for election in 2014. Voters re-elected Republican incumbent representative Kevin Cramer for the position.

North Dakota's At-large congressional district election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kevin Cramer 138,100 55.54
Democratic–NPL George B. Sinner 95,678 38.48
Libertarian Jack Seaman 14,531 5.84
Write-in 361 0.15
Total votes 248,670 100.00
Republican hold

North Dakota Legislative Assembly

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All odd-numbered legislative districts elected one Senator and two Representatives each to the North Dakota Legislative Assembly:

North Dakota House of Representatives election, 2014
Party Seats Gain/loss
  Republican 39  1
  Democratic–NPL 9  1
North Dakota Senate election, 2014
Party Seats Gain/loss
  Republican 19  1
  Democratic–NPL 5  1

References

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  1. ^ "2014 North Dakota Election Calendar" (PDF). North Dakota Secretary of State. March 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 1, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "2014 Primary Election Contest/Candidate List". North Dakota Secretary of State. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  3. ^ "North Dakota Democrats endorse 4 state candidates". The Bismarck Tribune. March 29, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Official Results General Election". North Dakota Voting Information & Central Election Systems. North Dakota Secretary of State. November 4, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  5. ^ "Jaeger gets GOP nod for ND secretary of state". The Washington Times. April 6, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  6. ^ "Fairfield comes out swinging in secretary of state's race". Bakken Today. March 27, 2014. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Three N.D. Libertarians file to run for office". The Bismarck Tribune. February 5, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  8. ^ "ND ag commissioner admits to inappropriate comment". North Dakota Watchdog. February 4, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  9. ^ "ND Ag Department ex-staffer: Exit interviews 'a sham'". WDAY-TV. February 16, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  10. ^ "Goehring defends leadership style, conduct with female staff". The Bismarck Tribune. February 4, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  11. ^ "Who wins the Goehring, ND Farm Bureau split?". AG Week. February 17, 2014. Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  12. ^ "ND ag commissioner says he would run in primary if he doesn't get GOP endorsement". AG Week. February 13, 2014. Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  13. ^ "Ag commissioner endorsement to cap ND GOP convention". AG Week. April 2, 2014. Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  14. ^ "Ag commissioner Goehring survives GOP endorsement challenge". WDAZ-TV. April 6, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  15. ^ "Ryan Taylor outlines ag priorities". The Bismarck Tribune. March 14, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  16. ^ "ND ag commissioner candidates clash on energy balance". Archived from the original on October 2, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  17. ^ "Race for North Dakota's agriculture commissioner is all about oil". Yahoo News. July 22, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
  18. ^ Mellman Group
  19. ^ "Dalrymple appoints Rauschenberger as tax commissioner". The Bismarck Tribune. November 8, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  20. ^ "Cory Fong leaving tax department". The Bismarck Tribune. October 1, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  21. ^ "Candidates announce for state tax commissioner's race". The Bismarck Tribune. February 5, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  22. ^ "Fargo attorney to seek Dem-NPL endorsement for tax commissioner". WDAY-TV. February 4, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  23. ^ "Fedorchak named to PSC". The Bismarck Tribune. November 30, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  24. ^ "ND GOP Convention Opens In Minot". KVRR. April 5, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  25. ^ "Axness outlines goals in PSC race". The Bismarck Tribune. February 25, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  26. ^ "ND PSC chairman Brian Kalk gets GOP endorsement". The Washington Times. April 6, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  27. ^ "Businessman Todd Reisenauer kicks off PSC campaign". The Bismarck Tribune. March 6, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.