Wayne Stenehjem

Wayne Stenehjem (/ˈstɛndʒəm/ STEN-jəm; born February 5, 1953) is an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of North Dakota. He is the current Attorney General of the state, serving since January 1, 2001. He sought the Republican nomination for Governor of North Dakota in the 2016 election cycle but lost the Republican primary on June 14 by 20%.

Biography

Wayne Stenehjem was born in Mohall, North Dakota, and he graduated from Bismarck High School in 1971 and Bismarck State College in 1972. He attended the University of North Dakota and the UND School of Law, graduating in 1977. Stenehjem was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1976, and served two terms there until 1980 when he was elected to the North Dakota Senate. He served in that capacity until 2000 when he became Attorney General of North Dakota.^[1] While serving as the Attorney General of North Dakota, Stenehjem proposed legislation to curb methamphetamine use and addiction in the state, by restricting retail sales of certain products used in its manufacture, to provide mandatory treatment for first time drug offenders, and increase criminal penalties for drug offenders. Stenehjem was re-elected in 2004, 2006, 2010, and in 2014, and by wide margins.

He is married to Beth Bakke Stenehjem, and has one son, Andrew. He is also the brother of North Dakota Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem (1952-2011) and former North Dakota House of Representatives member Allan Stenehjem (who is now a lobbyist).

Career

• North Dakota House of Representatives (1976—1979)
• North Dakota Senate (1980—2000)
  • Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee (1995—2000)
• North Dakota Attorney General (2001—present)

Electoral history

References

External links

• Campaign site