North Dakota gubernatorial election, 2012

North Dakota gubernatorial election, 2012
North Dakota
November 6, 2012

 
Nominee Jack Dalrymple Ryan Taylor
Party Republican Democratic
Running mate Drew Wrigley Ellen Chaffee
Popular vote 200,525 109,048
Percentage 63.1% 34.3%

County results

Governor before election

Jack Dalrymple
Republican

Elected Governor

Jack Dalrymple
Republican

The 2012 North Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2012, to elect a governor and lieutenant governor of North Dakota. Incumbent Governor Jack Dalrymple succeeded to the office when then-Governor John Hoeven resigned to take a seat in the United States Senate. Dalrymple, a member of the Republican Party, won election to a first full term. Ryan Taylor was the Democratic nominee. Jack Dalrymple prevailed with 63% of the vote.

Republican Party

Candidates

The North Dakota Republican Party selected Incumbent Governor Jack Dalrymple as their nominee and incumbent Lieutenant Governor Drew Wrigley was his running mate. Dalrymple defeated Fargo architect Paul Sorum who later ran as an independent.

Declined

Libertarian Party

Candidates

The Libertarian Party of North Dakota selected Roland Riemers, a real estate investor and a failed 2010 candidate for Grand Forks County Sheriff and failed 1996 candidate for president as their candidate.[2]

On July 5, 2012, it was announced that Riemers will not appear on the ballot because his running mate, Richard Ames, failed to file a page of his paperwork.[3] On September 12, 2012 after being disqualified from appearing on the November ballot, Roland Riemers, a libertarian now running as an independent with Anthony Johns, said in a news release that he’d submitted more than 1,100 signatures to the secretary of state. The pair appears on the ballot certified by the secretary on Monday.[4] Roland Riemers has filed a lawsuit to have the other candidates removed from the ballot.[5][6]

Democratic Party

Candidates

The North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party selected rancher and Senate minority leader Ryan Taylor as their nominee. Ellen Chaffee was his running mate.[7]

General election

Debates

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Jack
Dalrymple (R)
Ryan
Taylor (D)
Other Undecided
Pharos Research October 26–28, 2012 752 ± 3.6% 63% 34% 3%
Pharos Research October 19–21, 2012 807 ± 3.44% 63% 32% 5%
Rasmussen Reports October 17–18, 2012 600 ± 4.0% 53% 39% 2% 6%
Forum/Essman October 12–15, 2012 500 ± 4.4% 59% 28% 13%
Mason-Dixon October 3–5, 2012 625 ± 4.0% 62% 24% 1% 13%
Rasmussen Reports July 10–11, 2012 400 ± 5.0% 61% 26% 1% 11%

Results

North Dakota gubernatorial election, 2012[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jack Dalrymple (inc.) 200,525 63.10% -11.29%
Democratic Ryan M Taylor 109,048 34.31% +10.81%
Independent Paul Sorum 5,356 1.69%
Independent Roland C. Riemers 2,618 0.82%
Margin of victory 91,477 28.81% -22.10%
Turnout 317,814
Republican hold Swing

Note: The ±% column reflects the change in total number of votes won by each party from the previous election. Neither the vote shares nor the turnout figure account for write-ins.

References

External links

Campaign sites