North Dakota Sees More Contested Races For 2026 Legislative Elections

(Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – About a dozen North Dakota legislative districts will see Republican challenges in the June 9 primary, according to candidate filings that were due Monday.

Voters will decide the outcome of 74 legislative seats, 24 in the Senate and 50 in the House. Some districts, such as District 7 in Bismarck and District 13 in West Fargo, feature full competing slates of NDGOP candidates for their House and Senate races, highlighting the divide between traditional and populist Republican candidates.

The Democratic-NPL Party, meanwhile, had more than 55 candidates file to run for the Legislature as of Monday afternoon, an increase from two years ago. Republicans hold an 83-11 advantage in the House and a 42-5 advantage in the Senate in the Legislature.

District 7 Republican Sen. Michelle Axtman of Bismarck is among incumbents who gathered signatures to appear on the primary ballot rather than seek endorsement of her district, a trend that started in 2024 and has increased this year.