North Dakota primary to see 3 contested races for Republicans as Democrats fill all slots

By:Michael Achterling and Mary Steurer

BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – Three contested Republican statewide races will appear on the North Dakota primary ballot this June alongside a three-candidate contest for the nonpartisan superintendent of public instruction race.

Meanwhile, North Dakota Democrats fielded a candidate for every statewide race with the late addition of Mark Nelson, a retired farmer who lives near Rugby, who is running for tax commissioner. Monday was the candidate filing deadline.

Contested primaries

The Republican primary will see incumbent U.S. House Rep. Julie Fedorchak face NDGOP-endorsed candidate Alex Balazs in a partial rematch from the 2024 primary that included three other candidates. Fedorchak won the 2024 five-way primary with 46% voter support.

The winner will take on Democratic-NPL-endorsed U.S. House candidate Trygve Hammer in the November general election.

The Republican primary also has contested races for both seats on the Public Service Commission. Republican incumbents Sheri Haugen-Hoffart, seeking a six-year term, and Jill Kringstad, running for an unexpired two-year term, both skipped the NDGOP state convention last month and submitted petition signatures to appear on the Republican primary ballot.

The NDGOP endorsed Deven Styczynski during the party’s state convention to challenge Haugen-Hoffart in the race for the six-year term.

Republican Chris Olson of Baldwin, a farmer and rancher who works at a Stanton-area power plant, will challenge Kringstad in the Republican primary for the two-year term. Olson spoke to attendees of the NDGOP state convention but missed the deadline to be considered for the party’s endorsement.

The winner of the Republican PSC primaries will take on Dem-NPL-endorsed candidates John Pederson of Mayville, six-year term, and Scot Kelsh of Fargo, two-year term, during the general election.

The nonpartisan race for superintendent of public instruction includes incumbent Levi Bachmeier, who was appointed to the role by Gov. Kelly Armstrong in 2025. Bachmeier skipped the NDGOP state convention and did not seek a letter of support from the party. The Dem-NPL party gave a letter of support to Tracy Foss in her bid to unseat Bachmeier. Republican activist and frequent candidate Charles Tuttle also submitted signatures to run for state superintendent.

The top two finishers in the superintendent of public instruction primary advance to the general election in November.

Tax commissioner race

Nelson, a former Democratic candidate for the North Dakota statehouse, said he decided to run for tax commissioner and challenge Republican incumbent Brian Kroshus at the suggestion of other Democratic-NPL members.

Nelson said he didn’t seek an endorsement at the Democratic-NPL convention since he hadn’t yet decided to run.

He said he joined the race out of the belief that the state government is vulnerable to corruption when its leadership is dominated by one party.

Nelson said he supports the $1,600 primary residence credit spearheaded by Republican lawmakers during the 2025 legislative session.

“Property taxes are just too high,” Nelson said.

Nelson has run unsuccessfully three times for state legislative seats in District 14. He twice challenged Republican lawmakers Robin Weisz and Jon Nelson for House, and once ran in the Senate against Republican Jerry Klein.

Kroshus was appointed tax commissioner by then-Gov. Doug Burgum in 2021, replacing former Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger, who resigned. Kroshus was then elected to the seat after running unopposed in 2022.

“I look forward to the campaign and opportunity to visit with citizens across the state in the weeks and months ahead,” Kroshus said in a statement to the Monitor.

In a release announcing his campaign, he named transparency, representing the public and fiscal responsibility as top priorities.

Before his current office, Kroshus served on the Public Service Commission from 2017 to 2021.

Republicans hold every statewide office in North Dakota, and some years Democrats have struggled to find candidates. This will be the first election since 2020 that Dem-NPL candidates have filed to run in every statewide race.