North Dakota’s first female chief justice: ‘I certainly hope that I won’t be the last’

BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The North Dakota Supreme Court on Tuesday passed the gavel to a female chief justice for the first time in state history.

Justice Jon Jensen formally stepped down from the role and welcomed Chief Justice Lisa Fair McEvers during a ceremony in front of a packed crowd.

“Women have been eligible to serve on this court since 1920, when women gained the full right to vote, and it took us until now to have a chief justice,” Fair McEvers said during a speech. “While I’m humbled to be the first, I certainly hope that I won’t be the last.”

Fair McEvers earned 83% of the votes cast by sitting justices and district court judges in the December election to determine who would succeed Jensen. Justice Jerod Tufte was the other candidate.

Chief Justice Lisa Fair McEvers, the first woman to lead the North Dakota Supreme Court, and her predecessor, Justice Jon Jensen, swap seats during a Jan. 6, 2026, ceremony. (Photo by Jacob Orledge/North Dakota Monitor)

Fair McEvers said the support she has received from across the state and across the country since the election has been overwhelming.

“I do realize the historical significance of this moment,” Fair McEvers said. “While I’m not a big deal, I’m just a Class B kid from Minto, North Dakota, it’s obvious from the number of people who have contacted me following the ballot opening that this is a big deal to many people that we have selected the first woman in North Dakota to serve in this capacity.”

Fair McEvers has served on the Supreme Court since 2014, when she was appointed by then-Gov. Jack Dalrymple to fill a position vacated by former Justice Mary Muehlen Maring. She was elected to the court to serve a two-year term in 2016 and a 10-year term in 2018.

Susan Bailey, a district court judge and a friend of Fair McEvers since they attended law school together, said she made calm confidence her hallmark.

“In every role, the same core values shine through. Fairness, humility and an unwavering respect for the rule of law,” Bailey said during the ceremony.

Jensen, who did not seek reelection to the post of chief justice, will continue to serve as one of the Supreme Court’s five justices.

Fair McEvers said she hopes to build on many initiatives begun by Jensen.

“I intend to be a chief who listens, is patient and values the ideas of others, even when I might not agree with them,” Fair McEvers said.

North Dakota Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge can be reached at jorledge@northdakotamonitor.com.