The Era of the 'Three D's'
At the turn of the millennium, North Dakota’s voice in Washington was entirely Democratic-NPL (the state's unique Democratic-Nonpartisan League party). The delegation consisted of Senators Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan, and at-large Representative Earl Pomeroy. This trio, affectionately known as the 'Three D's', held sway for years, building powerful personal brands that transcended party labels. Conrad was a renowned 'deficit hawk', focusing on fiscal policy and chairing the Senate Budget Committee. Dorgan was a populist voice on issues of corporate power and trade, while also serving in Senate leadership. Pomeroy, a former state insurance commissioner, carved out a niche on the influential House Ways and Means Committee, focusing on healthcare
and agriculture. Their success was built on a pragmatic, moderate approach that prioritized North Dakota's agricultural and energy interests, allowing them to thrive in a state that was, even then, fundamentally conservative.
The Republican Wave Arrives
The foundation of Democratic dominance began to crack in 2010. Senator Byron Dorgan announced his retirement, creating an open-seat race. Riding a national Republican wave and his own immense popularity as a two-term governor, John Hoeven easily won the seat for the GOP, defeating his opponent with 76% of the vote. That same year, the state's sole House member, Earl Pomeroy, lost his seat to Republican Rick Berg after nine terms in office. Pomeroy's defeat was a major signal of the changing tides; his long tenure and focus on local issues were no longer enough to overcome the national political headwinds and his vote for the Affordable Care Act. In the span of a single election cycle, two of the three Democratic pillars had fallen.
A Brief Democratic Reprieve, Then a Red Sweep
Democrats had one last success in 2012 when Senator Kent Conrad retired. Former Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp won a razor-thin victory over Rick Berg to claim the open seat, winning by fewer than 3,000 votes. It was a testament to her retail political skills and deep roots in the state, but it proved to be a temporary reprieve. Meanwhile, the House seat flipped again. Republican Kevin Cramer, a former public service commissioner, won the seat in 2012 and held it for three terms. The final piece of the transformation came in 2018. In a highly anticipated and expensive race, Cramer challenged and defeated Heitkamp for the Senate. Heitkamp's vote against the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was seen as a critical factor in a state Donald Trump had won by 36 points. Her loss marked the end of an era, giving North Dakota an all-Republican congressional delegation for the first time since the 1950s.
The All-Republican Era Solidifies
Since 2019, the state's delegation has been staunchly Republican. John Hoeven has been reelected twice, solidifying his position as the state's senior senator. Kevin Cramer won his own reelection bid in 2024. In the House, Cramer's move to the Senate opened the door for Kelly Armstrong, a former state party chairman, who won the at-large district in 2018 and held it until being elected governor in 2024. The shift reflects a broader national trend of political polarization, where local personalities and ticket-splitting have given way to straight-party voting based on national political identity. For North Dakota, this meant aligning fully with the national Republican party, a dramatic departure from the independent-minded approach that defined its politics for decades.
