The 2020 North Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of North Dakota, concurrently with other statewide elections and federal elections, including the U.S. presidential election. Incumbent Republican Governor Doug Burgum and Lieutenant Governor Brent Sanford were both re-elected to a second term.
Republican primary
The Republican Party held a state convention in the spring to endorse a single gubernatorial candidate. That candidate and his or her running mate were automatically placed on the primary election ballot. Endorsed candidates may or may not face competition from other candidates placed there by petition—as incumbent governor Burgum did in 2016. The winner of the primary appears on the general election ballot. All primary elections in North Dakota are open to all qualified North Dakota electors, regardless of party affiliation. The 2020 primary election was held on June 9.
Candidates
Nominee
- Doug Burgum, incumbent governor
- Running mate: Brent Sanford, incumbent lieutenant governor
Eliminated in primary
- Michael Coachman, former Larimore city councilor and perennial candidate
- Running mate: Joel H. Hylden
Declined
- Wayne Stenehjem, North Dakota Attorney General
- Drew Wrigley, U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota
Democratic-NPL primary
At the Democratic-NPL Party's virtual state convention on March 21, the party endorsed Shelley Lenz for governor and Ben Vig for lieutenant governor. As a result, they were automatically placed on the primary election ballot, where they did not face competition from other candidates. The primary election was held on June 9, entirely by mail and open to all qualified North Dakota electors, regardless of party affiliation.
Candidates
Nominee
- Shelley Lenz, veterinarian and former Killdeer school board member
- Running mate: Ben Vig, former state representative
Declined
- Joshua Boschee, minority leader of the North Dakota House of Representatives
- Heidi Heitkamp, former U.S. senator
- Erin Oban, state senator
- Mac Schneider, former minority leader of the North Dakota Senate
Other candidates
Libertarian Party
Nominee
- DuWayne Hendrickson
- Running mate: Joshua Voytek
General election
Debate
The two major party candidates, as well as the Libertarian candidate DuWayne Hendrickson, had a televised debate on October 21.