Kelly Armstrong is the Governor of North Dakota. He assumed office on December 15, 2024. His current term ends on December 15, 2028. Armstrong was born in Dickinson, North Dakota, in 1976. He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of North Dakota in 2001 and earned his J.D. there in 2003. After finishing school, Armstrong worked in private practice as an attorney, first in Grand Forks, then in Dickinson. In 2011, Armstrong joined his family's energy company, Armstrong Corporation, where he served as vice president until 2018. In 2012 Armstrong was elected to the state Senate for District 36, defeating Rich Brauhn. During his tenure, Armstrong sponsored a bill, later signed into law by Gov. Jack Dalrymple, that enforced tougher penalties for armed felons. He also sponsored legislation that enacted harsher penalties for felons convicted of driving under the influence, including a longer probation period. In 2017, he became chair of the Senate's Judiciary Committee. In 2015, Armstrong was elected chair of the North Dakota Republican Party, a position he held until 2018. In 2018, Armstrong was elected to represent North Dakota's At-Large Congressional District. Grand Forks Herald's April Baumgarten wrote Armstrong "said he doesn't try to push himself to the middle of the political spectrum, adding he is proud to be a conservative..Agreeing that he is a 'Trump Republican,' Armstrong said the U.S. has never had a White House administration more interested in the state." During his tenure in Congress, he introduced a bill that would prohibit the regulation of gas stoves by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Armstrong was one of 47 Republicans to vote for the Respect for Marriage Act of 2022.
