2020 North Dakota gubernatorial election

For related races, see 2020 United States gubernatorial elections.

2020 North Dakota gubernatorial election
← 2016 November 3, 2020 2024 →
Turnout62.65%
 
Nominee Doug Burgum Shelley Lenz
Party Republican Democratic–NPL
Running mate Brent Sanford Ben Vig
Popular vote 235,479 90,789
Percentage 65.84% 25.38%
Burgum:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Lenz:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Governor before election

Doug Burgum
Republican

Elected Governor

Doug Burgum
Republican

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The 2020 North Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of North Dakota, concurrently with other federal and statewide elections, including the U.S. presidential election.[1] Incumbent Republican governor Doug Burgum and lieutenant governor Brent Sanford were both re-elected to a second term.

Republican primary

The Republican Party held a state convention in the spring to endorse a single gubernatorial candidate. That candidate and his or her running mate were automatically placed on the primary election ballot. Endorsed candidates may or may not face competition from other candidates placed there by petition—as incumbent governor Burgum did in 2016. The winner of the primary appears on the general election ballot. All primary elections in North Dakota are open to all qualified North Dakota electors, regardless of party affiliation.[1] The 2020 primary election was held on June 9.

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Results

Results by county:
  Burgum—>90%
  Burgum—80–90%
  Burgum—70–80%
Republican primary results [6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Doug Burgum (incumbent) 96,119 89.51%
Republican Michael Coachman 10,904 10.15%
Republican Write-In 356 0.33%
Total votes 107,379 100.0%

Democratic-NPL primary

At the Democratic-NPL Party's virtual state convention on March 21, the party endorsed Shelley Lenz for governor and Ben Vig for lieutenant governor.[7] As a result, they were automatically placed on the primary election ballot, where they did not face competition from other candidates. The primary election was held on June 9, entirely by mail and open to all qualified North Dakota electors, regardless of party affiliation.[1]

Candidates

Nominee

Declined

Results

North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic–NPL Shelley Lenz 34,501 99.33%
Democratic–NPL Write-In 231 0.67%
Total votes 34,732 100.0%

Other candidates

Libertarian Party

Nominee

  • DuWayne Hendrickson[11]
    • Running mate: Joshua Voytek[11]

Results

Libertarian primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Libertarian DuWayne Hendrickson 705 77.64%
Libertarian Write-In 203 22.36%
Total votes 908 100.0%

General election

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[12] Safe R October 23, 2020
Inside Elections[13] Safe R October 28, 2020
Sabato's Crystal Ball[14] Safe R November 2, 2020
Politico[15] Safe R November 2, 2020
Daily Kos[16] Safe R October 28, 2020
RCP[17] Safe R November 2, 2020
270towin[18] Safe R November 2, 2020

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[a] 		Margin
of error 		Doug
Burgum (R) 		Shelley
Lenz (D) 		DuWayne
Hendrickson (L) 		Undecided
DFM Research[19] September 12–16, 2020 500 (LV) ± 4.5% 56% 24% 6% 14%
Hypothetical polling

with Heidi Heitkamp

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[a] 		Margin
of error 		Doug
Burgum (R) 		Heidi
Heitkamp (D) 		Other /
Undecided
1892 Polling (R)[20][A] July 15–17, 2019 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 62% 33% 5%

Debate

The two major party candidates, as well as the Libertarian candidate DuWayne Hendrickson, had a televised debate on October 21.[21][22]

Results

North Dakota gubernatorial election, 2020[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican
235,479 65.84% −10.68%
Democratic–NPL
90,789 25.38% +5.99%
Libertarian
  • DuWayne Hendrickson
  • Joshua Voytek
 13,853 3.87% −0.03%
Write-in 17,538 4.90% +4.71%
Total votes 357,659 100.00%
Turnout 364,251 62.65%
Registered electors 581,379
Republican hold

By county

By county
County Doug Burgum
Republican 		Shelley Lenz
Democratic–NPL 		DuWayne Hendrickson
Libertarian 		Write-in Margin Total
votes
# % # % # % # % # %
Adams 1,000 79.37 163 12.94 40 3.17 40 3.17 837 66.43 1,260
Barnes 3,775 68.44 1,366 24.76 173 3.14 202 3.66 2,409 43.67 5,516
Benson 1,098 56.25 708 36.27 61 3.13 85 4.35 390 19.98 1,952
Billings 442 70.27 57 9.06 28 4.45 102 16.22 340 54.05 629
Bottineau 2,653 77.01 588 17.07 93 2.70 111 3.22 2,065 59.94 3,445
Bowman 1,254 76.65 171 10.45 53 3.24 158 9.66 1,083 66.20 1,636
Burke 860 75.31 129 11.30 43 3.77 110 9.63 731 64.01 1,142
Burleigh 31,067 62.13 12,064 24.13 2,385 4.77 4,487 8.97 19,003 38.00 50,003
Cass 50,649 59.31 31,055 36.37 2,737 3.21 951 1.11 19,594 22.95 85,392
Cavalier 1,551 77.13 343 17.06 55 2.73 62 3.08 1,208 60.07 2,011
Dickey 1,791 73.95 479 19.78 72 2.97 80 3.30 1,312 54.17 2,422
Divide 918 76.76 200 16.72 40 3.34 38 3.18 718 60.03 1,196
Dunn 1,711 74.07 280 12.12 99 4.29 220 9.52 1,431 61.95 2,310
Eddy 847 67.60 307 24.50 37 2.95 62 4.95 540 43.10 1,253
Emmons 1,375 70.30 225 11.50 98 5.01 258 13.19 1,117 57.11 1,956
Foster 1,317 74.96 290 16.51 58 3.30 92 5.24 1,027 58.45 1,757
Golden Valley 792 78.11 105 10.36 46 4.54 71 7.00 687 67.75 1,014
Grand Forks 19,150 62.77 10,006 32.80 955 3.13 395 1.29 9,144 29.97 30,506
Grant 964 70.26 171 12.46 71 5.17 166 12.10 793 57.80 1,372
Griggs 924 74.46 247 19.90 33 2.66 37 2.98 677 54.55 1,241
Hettinger 923 71.66 153 11.88 65 5.05 147 11.41 770 59.78 1,288
Kidder 928 64.36 215 14.91 75 5.20 224 15.53 704 48.82 1,442
LaMoure 1,666 75.49 391 17.72 69 3.13 81 3.67 1,275 57.77 2,207
Logan 739 69.78 109 10.29 54 5.10 157 14.83 582 54.96 1,059
McHenry 2,211 74.32 447 15.03 136 4.57 181 6.08 1,764 59.29 2,975
McIntosh 1,109 77.12 201 13.98 64 4.45 64 4.45 908 63.14 1,438
McKenzie 4,305 80.60 659 12.34 192 3.59 185 3.46 3,646 68.26 5,341
McLean 3,466 63.67 1,094 20.10 305 5.60 579 10.64 2,372 43.57 5,444
Mercer 3,352 72.65 591 12.81 175 3.79 496 10.75 2,761 59.84 4,614
Morton 10,254 62.73 3,341 20.44 865 5.29 1,886 11.54 6,913 42.29 16,346
Mountrail 2,691 65.27 1,072 26.00 170 4.12 190 4.61 1,619 39.27 4,123
Nelson 1,192 67.08 504 28.36 40 2.25 41 2.31 688 38.72 1,777
Oliver 741 70.84 123 11.76 44 4.21 138 13.19 603 57.65 1,046
Pembina 2,451 74.27 625 18.94 91 2.76 133 4.03 1,826 55.33 3,300
Pierce 1,522 72.20 373 17.69 61 2.89 152 7.21 1,149 54.51 2,108
Ramsey 3,761 70.12 1,239 23.10 181 3.37 183 3.41 2,522 47.02 5,364
Ransom 1,603 65.56 693 28.34 97 3.97 52 2.13 910 37.22 2,445
Renville 1,064 80.97 168 12.79 43 3.27 39 2.97 896 68.19 1,314
Richland 5,458 70.34 1,963 25.30 236 3.04 102 1.31 3,495 45.04 7,759
Rolette 1,496 39.72 2,151 57.12 80 2.12 39 1.04 -655 -17.39 3,766
Sargent 1,414 68.64 571 27.72 53 2.57 22 1.07 843 40.92 2,060
Sheridan 516 64.91 101 12.70 43 5.41 135 16.98 381 47.92 795
Sioux 340 28.89 667 56.67 77 6.54 93 7.90 -327 -27.78 1,177
Slope 329 77.41 40 9.41 16 3.76 40 9.41 289 68.00 425
Stark 10,499 70.84 1,977 13.34 754 5.09 1,590 10.73 8,522 57.50 14,820
Steele 714 65.63 333 30.61 24 2.21 17 1.56 381 35.02 1,088
Stutsman 7,071 72.26 1,992 20.36 395 4.04 327 3.34 5,079 51.91 9,785
Towner 861 73.78 234 20.05 30 2.57 42 3.60 627 53.73 1,167
Traill 2,755 66.84 1,201 29.14 96 2.33 70 1.70 1,554 37.70 4,122
Walsh 3,461 72.96 975 20.55 120 2.53 188 3.96 2,486 52.40 4,744
Ward 20,295 72.51 5,587 19.96 1,262 4.51 847 3.03 14,708 52.55 27,991
Wells 1,606 68.57 356 15.20 98 4.18 282 12.04 1,250 53.37 2,342
Williams 10,548 75.48 1,689 12.09 665 4.76 1,072 7.67 8,859 63.40 13,974
Totals 235,479 65.84 90,789 25.38 13,853 3.87 17,538 4.90 144,690 40.46 357,659

Notes

Partisan clients

  1. ^ Poll sponsored by Doug Burgum

General notes

  1. ^ a b Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

References

  1. ^ a b c "North Dakota Election Laws" (PDF). North Dakota Secretary of State. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  2. ^ Dura, Jack (October 24, 2019). "Gov. Burgum announces reelection campaign". The Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  3. ^ Dura, Jack (September 16, 2019). "Coachman announces 2020 North Dakota gubernatorial campaign". Grand Forks Herald. Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  4. ^ "Candidate List Results". North Dakota Secretary of State. April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e Easter, Sam (June 16, 2019). "Little interest, so far, in ND governor's race". The Jamestown Sun. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "Statewide Results". North Dakota Secretary of State. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  7. ^ Dura, Jack (March 22, 2020). "North Dakota Democrats endorse 2020 state, congressional candidates". The Bismarck Tribune. Lee Enterprises. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  8. ^ "Shelley Lenz launches campaign for ND Governor". KVRR. January 31, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  9. ^ "Dem-NPL Governor Candidate Lenz Announces Running Mate". KVRR Local News. April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  10. ^ Nicholson, Blake (August 8, 2019). "Burgum campaign measures popularity against that of Heitkamp". The Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  11. ^ a b "2020 primary election contest/candidate list".
  12. ^ "2020 Governor Race Ratings for October 23, 2020". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  13. ^ "2020 Gubernatorial Ratings". insideelections.com. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  14. ^ "2020 Gubernatorial race ratings". Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball. November 2, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  15. ^ "We rated every gubernatorial race in 2020. Here's who we think will win". Politico. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  16. ^ "2020 Governor Race Ratings". Daily Kos. June 1, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  17. ^ "2020 Governor Races". RealClearPolitics. June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  18. ^ "2020 Gubernatorial Elections Map". 270towin.
  19. ^ DFM Research
  20. ^ 1892 Polling (R)
  21. ^ Face To Face | North Dakota Governor Debate | Season 2020 | PBS. Retrieved September 10, 2024 – via www.pbs.org.
  22. ^ Staff, Site (October 22, 2020). "ND gubernatorial candidates talk coronavirus in first & only debate". KVRR Local News. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  23. ^ "Statewide Results". North Dakota Secretary of State. November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.

Official campaign websites