Ward County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
15 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 7 Ward County races, led by the Ward County Commissioner contest.
County offices
CommissionerNonpartisan race · John Fjeldahl · Jason T. Olson
John Fjeldahl and Jason T. Olson are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Ward County Commissioner.
John Fjeldahl Nonpartisan
John Fjeldahl is a sitting Ward County commissioner, per Ward County government. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Jason T. Olson Nonpartisan
Jason Olson is a sitting Ward County commissioner, per Ward County government. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
2 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Ward County Commissioner, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List; the list does not specify how many seats are up this cycle.
Full race pageSheriffNonpartisan race · Bob Roed
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Bob Roed Nonpartisan
Bob Roed is the current Ward County Sheriff, per Ward County government. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Bob Roed is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageState's AttorneyNonpartisan race · Andrew J Schultz
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Andrew J Schultz Nonpartisan
Andrew Schultz is a Minot area attorney who opened his own law firm in 2011, with a practice focused on criminal law, family law and creditors' rights, per KX News. Sitting State's Attorney Roza Larson, who has held the office since 2009, announced she would not seek reelection, per KFYR-TV. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Andrew J Schultz is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Ward County is split across 4 North Dakota Senate and House districts.
Find your districts by addressNorth Dakota Senate: 2 districtsDistricts 3, 5
North Dakota Senate District 3Bob Paulson (R) · Michael Thiesen (D)
Bob Paulson Republican Incumbent
Bob Paulson is the Republican incumbent for North Dakota Senate District 3. Paulson is a retired Navy pilot and rancher in Minot who holds a BBA from Evangel University, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Paulson was first elected to the North Dakota House in 2019 and moved to the Senate in 2023. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Michael Thiesen Democratic-NPL
Michael Thiesen is the Democratic-NPL candidate for North Dakota Senate District 3, challenging sitting Sen. Bob Paulson. Thiesen is the mayor of Surrey and an electrician by trade, per KX News. Thiesen has said the Legislature should focus on policies that affect people's lives, including education costs, food prices and local government expenses, per KX News. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Bob Paulson (R), Michael Thiesen (Democratic-NPL) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Dakota Senate District 3. Bob Paulson 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 Senate District 5Jay Fisher (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Jay Fisher Republican
Jay Fisher is a Republican candidate for North Dakota Senate District 5. Fisher is an agronomist at Fisher Research LLC and L&Q Great Plains LLC, and a past director of the NDSU North Central Research Extension Center, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Fisher holds a BS and MS from North Dakota State University, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Fisher is currently the sitting state representative for House District 5, first elected in 2019, and is running for the Senate District 5 seat. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Jay Fisher (R) is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Dakota Senate District 5; unopposed candidates still appear on North Dakota ballots, so the race is on the ballot but is not contested. The Legislative Assembly's members-by-district roster shows no sitting member among these candidates. 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: 2 districtsDistricts 3, 5
North Dakota House District 3Blaine DesLauriers (R) · Tara Hiatt (D) · Natalie Mclaughlin (D) · Timothy Mihalick (R)
Blaine DesLauriers Republican
- Keeping taxes, especially property taxes, low for homeowners, seniors and employers
- Supporting responsible development of all energy sources
- Strengthening partnerships between employers and educators for workforce development
Per the campaign site.
About Blaine DesLauriers
DesLauriers is a banking executive with 40 years in the industry, serving as vice chair of the board and senior executive vice president at First International Bank and Trust, overseeing five markets and 28 branch locations, per the campaign site. DesLauriers was born and raised on a family farm west of Sherwood, North Dakota, per the campaign site.
Tara Hiatt Democratic-NPL
Tara Hiatt, of rural Minot, has had a career spanning the Bakken oil field and the North Dakota University System, per the Minot Daily News. She is a Democratic-NPL candidate for North Dakota House District 3, focusing her campaign on local services, education and quality-of-life issues, per the same source. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Natalie Mclaughlin Democratic-NPL
Natalie Mclaughlin is the Democratic-NPL nominee for North Dakota House District 3 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Timothy Mihalick Republican
- Workforce development aligned with local employer needs
- Education access, including K-12 schools and higher education
- Rural healthcare and telehealth services
Per the campaign site.
About Timothy Mihalick
Mihalick serves as senior vice president at First Western Bank and Trust and spent more than 36 years with IRET and affiliated companies, including eight years as president and CEO, per the campaign site. Mihalick serves on the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education and is vice chair of the Midwest Higher Education Compact, per the campaign site.
Blaine DesLauriers (R), Tara Hiatt (Democratic-NPL), Natalie Mclaughlin (Democratic-NPL), Timothy Mihalick (R) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Dakota House District 3. Voters choose two. The Legislative Assembly's members-by-district roster shows no sitting member among these candidates. 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 5Roger Brabandt (R) · Kyle Erickson (D) · Scott Louser (R) · Zach Raknerud (D)
Roger Brabandt Republican
Roger Brabandt is a Republican candidate for North Dakota House District 5. Brabandt is retired and previously served in the House representing District 5 from 2011 to 2018, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. District 5 Republicans endorsed Brabandt for one of the district's two 2026 House seats, alongside sitting Rep. Jay Fisher, per The Dakotan. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Kyle Erickson Democratic-NPL
- Practical, people-first solutions that support North Dakotans and their neighbors
Per the campaign site.
About Kyle Erickson
Erickson works as a disability advocate and nonprofit professional and is also a comedian, per the campaign site. Erickson has spent his career working with people and families directly affected by state policy, per the campaign site.
Scott Louser Republican Incumbent
Scott Louser is the Republican incumbent for North Dakota House District 5. Louser is a real estate broker in Minot, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Louser holds a BS and MS from Minot State University and served on the Minot Public School Board, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Louser was first elected to the House in 2011 and has since served as Majority Caucus Leader and Assistant Majority Leader. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Zach Raknerud Democratic-NPL
Zach Raknerud is the Democratic-NPL nominee for North Dakota House District 5 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list. Raknerud is a lifelong North Dakotan who has lived in Minot for 10 years, where he started his career, and lives with his wife and son, per the campaign site. Raknerud is a lifelong North Dakotan who has lived in Minot for 10 years, where he started his career, and lives with his wife and son, per the campaign site.
Roger Brabandt (R), Kyle Erickson (Democratic-NPL), Scott Louser (R), Zach Raknerud (Democratic-NPL) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Dakota House District 5. Voters choose two. Scott Louser 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
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
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 Ward County, North Dakota on November 3, 2026?
Ward County sample ballot 2026: see where the county commissioner, county sheriff and state's attorney candidates stand on growth and jobs. 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 Ward 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 →
Sample ballot by ZIP code in Ward County14 ZIP codes
Candidate roster last updated Sep 25, 2026 from official election sources.