Nelson County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
9 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 5 Nelson County races, led by the North Dakota Senate District 29 contest.
Judges
North Dakota District Court, Northeast Central Judicial District, Judgeship No. 2Nonpartisan race · Theodore T. Sandberg · Sarah M. Kyte
Theodore T. Sandberg Nonpartisan Incumbent
Theodore T. Sandberg is a sitting judge of the Northeast Central Judicial District, appointed to the bench in 2024, per the North Dakota Court System. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Sarah M. Kyte Nonpartisan
Sarah M. Kyte is a Grand Forks attorney who has practiced law since 2019 and is running for a judgeship on the Northeast Central Judicial District, per the Grand Forks Herald. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Theodore T. Sandberg and Sarah M. Kyte are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for this seat on the Northeast Central Judicial District, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. This seat carries an unexpired 4-year term. Theodore T. Sandberg is the sitting judge in this seat, per the North Dakota Court System's district court judges roster. Every voter in Grand Forks and Nelson counties elects this seat, since North Dakota district judges are elected district-wide across the Northeast Central Judicial District (North Dakota Supreme Court Administrative Rule 6 (effective 8/11/2021)). North Dakota district court races are nonpartisan.
Full race pageNorth Dakota District Court, Northeast Central Judicial District, Judgeship No. 5Nonpartisan race · M. Jason McCarthy
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
M. Jason McCarthy Nonpartisan Incumbent
M. Jason McCarthy is a sitting judge of the Northeast Central Judicial District, appointed to the bench in 2016, per the North Dakota Court System. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
M. Jason McCarthy is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for this seat on the Northeast Central Judicial District, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. M. Jason McCarthy is the sitting judge in this seat, per the North Dakota Court System's district court judges roster. Every voter in Grand Forks and Nelson counties elects this seat, since North Dakota district judges are elected district-wide across the Northeast Central Judicial District (North Dakota Supreme Court Administrative Rule 6 (effective 8/11/2021)). North Dakota district court races are nonpartisan.
Full race pageNorth Dakota District Court, Northeast Central Judicial District, Judgeship No. 6Nonpartisan race · Kristi Pettit Venhuizen
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Kristi Pettit Venhuizen Nonpartisan Incumbent
Kristi Pettit Venhuizen is a sitting judge of the Northeast Central Judicial District, appointed to the bench in 2023, per the North Dakota Court System. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Kristi Pettit Venhuizen is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for this seat on the Northeast Central Judicial District, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. This seat carries an unexpired 4-year term. Kristi Pettit Venhuizen is the sitting judge in this seat, per the North Dakota Court System's district court judges roster. Every voter in Grand Forks and Nelson counties elects this seat, since North Dakota district judges are elected district-wide across the Northeast Central Judicial District (North Dakota Supreme Court Administrative Rule 6 (effective 8/11/2021)). North Dakota district court races are nonpartisan.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Find your districts by addressNorth Dakota Senate District 29John Kelly (D) · Terry M Wanzek (R)
John Kelly Democratic-NPL
John Kelly is the Democratic-NPL candidate for North Dakota Senate District 29, challenging sitting Sen. Terry M. Wanzek. Kelly, of Pekin, holds a BS in business administration from Norwich University, per the Jamestown Sun. Kelly was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged as a lieutenant colonel, per the Jamestown Sun. After retiring from farming in 1999 Kelly worked in retail and became a certified nurse assistant, retiring in 2022, per the Jamestown Sun. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Terry M Wanzek Republican Incumbent
Terry M Wanzek is the Republican incumbent for North Dakota Senate District 29. Wanzek is a farmer, rancher and businessman in Jamestown, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Wanzek holds a BA from the University of Jamestown and has served on the Board of Governors of the University of Jamestown and the board of Jamestown Regional Medical Center, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Wanzek first served in the House starting in 1993 and has served in the Senate since 1995, including as President Pro Tempore in 2013. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
John Kelly (Democratic-NPL), Terry M Wanzek (R) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Dakota Senate District 29. Terry M Wanzek is the sitting member, per the Legislative Assembly's members-by-district roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 9, 2026 primary, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list.
Full race pageNorth Dakota House District 29Craig Headland (R) · Dianne Norris (D) · Kevin Wolsky (R)
Craig Headland Republican Incumbent
Craig Headland is a farmer who attended Minnesota State University Moorhead and North Dakota State University, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. He has been recognized by the Petroleum Council as an Outstanding Public Servant, per the same source. Headland, of Montpelier, has represented District 29 in the North Dakota House since 2003. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Dianne Norris Democratic-NPL
Dianne Norris is a manufacturing engineer who holds a Bachelor of Science in biological systems engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, per the Jamestown Sun. Norris, of Cooperstown, is a Democratic-NPL candidate for North Dakota House District 29. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Kevin Wolsky Republican
- property tax relief
- strong rural communities
Per the campaign site.
About Kevin Wolsky
Wolsky is a third-generation farmer and small business owner from Carrington, North Dakota, and is the father of nine, per the campaign site.
Craig Headland (R), Dianne Norris (Democratic-NPL), Kevin Wolsky (R) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Dakota House District 29. Voters choose two. Craig Headland is the sitting member, per the Legislative Assembly's members-by-district roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 9, 2026 primary, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list.
Full race pageSee your full ballot
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Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
North Dakota's field is the Secretary of State's general election candidate list. Party nominees (Republican, Democratic-NPL, Libertarian) were chosen at the June 9, 2026 primary. Legislators serve staggered four-year terms, so only the odd-numbered districts elect a senator and two representatives this year (House races say voters choose two); a few even-numbered districts fill an unexpired two-year House term. Judges and the superintendent of public instruction run without party labels. Unopposed candidates still appear on the ballot.
Who is on the ballot in Nelson County, North Dakota on November 3, 2026?
Nelson County sample ballot 2026: who is running for north dakota house, north dakota senate and north dakota, with bios, priorities and campaign sites. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in North Dakota?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for North Dakota are listed on the North Dakota election hub. North Dakota election hub →
How do I see my exact Nelson County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
North Dakota statewide racesEvery North Dakota race on this county's ballot.All North Dakota ballot measures2 statewide ballot measures