North Dakota names first female Supreme Court chief justice
BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — Lisa Fair McEvers has been elected the first female chief justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court.
She earned about 83% of the vote by sitting justices and district court judges. Justice Jerod Tufte, who also sought the role as chief justice, received about 16% of the vote.
“I will work to the best of my ability to serve all the judiciary,” Fair McEvers said after the ballots were counted by court staff Wednesday morning in the Capitol’s Judicial Wing.
Justice Lisa Fair McEvers delivers a short acceptance speech after being elected the next chief justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court on Dec. 10, 2025. (Photo by Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)
She will start in the role on Jan. 1.
“You’ve served the judiciary in your role for many years, and clearly you’ve earned the respect of our colleagues, and so I look forward to supporting you in your leadership,” Tufte told Fair McEvers after the ballots were counted.
There are five justices and 54 district court judges, meaning a total of 59 people were eligible to vote. The court received 58 ballots.
One ballot was for former Justice Gerald VandeWalle, which could not be counted. VandeWalle served as chief justice from 1993 to 2019 and retired from the bench in 2023.
North Dakota is the only state where the chief justice is elected by a vote of the sitting justices and district court judges, said State Court Administrator Sally Holewa, who led the ballot count.
Fair McEvers has been a Supreme Court justice since 2014, when she was appointed by former Gov. Jack Dalrymple to fill a position vacated by former Justice Mary Muehlen Maring.
She was then elected to the court to serve a two-year term in 2016 and a 10-year term in 2018.
Fair McEvers previously ran for the position of chief justice in 2019, losing to Justice Jon Jensen.
She told the North Dakota Monitor earlier this month her plans for chief justice include increasing resources for district court judges and phasing out judicial referee positions in state courts.
Justices Jerod Tufte and Daniel Crothers watch as court staff count ballots cast in the election for the North Dakota Supreme Court’s next chief justice on Dec. 10, 2025. (Photo by Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)
Fair McEvers is the fourth woman to serve on the North Dakota Supreme Court.
She previously served as assistant state’s attorney for Cass County and commissioner of the North Dakota Department of Labor. Fair McEvers also served as a judge in the East Central Judicial District in Fargo.
The chief justice serves as the face of North Dakota’s judicial system and handles some court-related administrative duties. The chief has no more voting power on the court than the other justices.
“The description that has been used over the years is, the chief justice is the leader among equals,” Chief Justice Jon Jensen told the North Dakota Monitor previously.
Jensen was first elected chief justice in 2019. He said he decided not seek reelection to spend more time with his family. He will remain on the high court.
North Dakota Monitor reporter Mary Steurer can be reached at msteurer@northdakotamonitor.com.
