North Dakota Governor — Kelly Armstrong
Kelly Armstrong is a 48-year-old lawyer and businessman from Dickinson who served six years in Congress before being elected as North Dakota's 34th governor in 2024 with 68% of the vote. He has extensive financial ties to the oil and gas industry and campaigned on property tax relief, reducing regulations, and supporting energy production. Armstrong won his election despite controversy over his conflict-of-interest ties to oil and gas companies.
Provide property tax relief and reform, addressing property taxes as the state's number one issue
Status: completed
Armstrong signed historic property tax relief legislation (HB 1176) in May 2025 that tripled the primary residence property tax credit from $500 to $1,600 per year and implemented a 3% cap on annual property tax increases by local governments. The bill passed the House 86-4 and Senate 46-0. The relief is funded by a dedicated stream from the state's $12 billion Legacy Fund, estimated at $409-473 million in the 2025-2027 biennium. As of 2026, approximately 50,000 households had their property taxes zeroed out, with another 95,000 seeing significant relief averaging 41-46% reduction.
Reduce taxes and regulations to grow the economy and stop inflation
Status: in-progress
Armstrong directed state agencies to prepare budget cuts for the 2027-29 biennium, with agencies over $20 million required to find 10% reductions and those under $10 million to prepare hold-even budgets. He called for zero new state employees and major construction projects for two years. He also capped insulin prices at $25/month (signed April 2025). However, these actions represent fiscal restraint rather than broader tax cuts. The property tax relief passed in 2025 was his signature tax relief achievement.
Increase resources for law enforcement and support public safety
Status: in-progress
Armstrong signed recovery and reentry legislation (HB 1425, 1417, 1549) focused on criminal justice reform. The state legislature approved funds for prison overcrowding solutions including agreements with Grand Forks County and Burleigh-Morton detention centers, plus $35 million for the Heart River Correctional Center. During the 2025 federal government shutdown, Armstrong provided low-interest loans to federal workers and directed $1.5 million to food assistance for SNAP benefits. He also championed phone-free schools legislation (HB 1160) passed unanimously.
Support energy independence and oil and gas production as the state's economic driver
Status: in-progress
Armstrong has been a consistent advocate for oil and gas production. In his 2025 State of the State address, he called for policy encouraging value-added agriculture and allowing oil and gas companies to pursue enhanced oil recovery in the Bakken shale formation. He emphasized building pipeline infrastructure for natural gas and met with President Trump to thank him for executive orders lifting restrictions on coal-fired power plants. He also vetoed a $250,000 study on post-oil economic development, calling it premature and saying it sends the wrong message about the state's energy industry.
Defend the Second Amendment and hunting rights
Status: ongoing
Armstrong has consistently defended gun rights. He opposed a binary trigger ban despite the 2023 Fargo police officer shooting. He has positioned himself as a strong gun rights defender and campaigned on Second Amendment protection. His legislative record in Congress and state positions reflects support for gun owner rights, though no major new pro-gun legislation was signed in 2025.
Expand education choice through Education Savings Accounts and charter schools
Status: blocked
Armstrong proposed Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in his 2025 State of the State address and called for charter school creation. However, he vetoed HB 1540, the education savings account program backed by the Republican legislature, saying it 'falls far short of truly expanding choice' because it only impacted one sector of students and had implementation issues. The bill passed the House 49-45 and Senate 27-20 but lacked the two-thirds majority needed to override Armstrong's veto. He indicated the House-passed alternative bill was 'an available vehicle to combine the best parts of both bills,' suggesting he is still open to ESA legislation with improvements.