District 29, county commission races advance to November ballot
District 29’s incumbents and a tight county commission field all moved to November after Stutsman County cast 3,417 primary ballots.
Stutsman County voters narrowed the November field Tuesday, sending District 29’s legislative contenders and four county commission hopefuls on to the general election while leaving several other county offices uncontested. The June 9 primary also showed strong participation, with 3,417 total ballots cast countywide and an early-voting surge that pointed to a busier election season ahead.
District 29’s Senate and House races all advanced to Nov. 3, the state’s general election date. Incumbent Sen. Terry Wanzek, who has served in the North Dakota Senate since 2007 after earlier House service, led the Senate race with 1,988 votes. Democratic challenger John Kelly followed with 834.
In the House contest, incumbent Rep. Craig Headland, in the chamber since 2003, finished with 1,542 votes. Republican challenger Kevin Wolsky topped the field with 1,660, and Democratic challenger Dianne Norris received 828. District 29 stretches across parts of Stutsman, Foster, Griggs, Nelson and Steele counties, so the November ballot will determine who carries that multi-county district into the next legislative session.
The county commission race was just as important locally. Stutsman County’s five at-large commission seats now move toward the fall ballot with Amanda Hastings, Benjamin Tompkins, Chad Wolsky and Paul Belzer among the candidates advancing. Hastings led the field with 1,969 votes, narrowly ahead of Wolsky with 1,957. Tompkins finished with 1,684 and Belzer with 1,591, leaving the November contest to decide who will help steer county budgets, roads and other day-to-day local business.
Countywide primary turnout leaned heavily Republican, with 2,323 Republican ballots, 915 Democratic-NPL ballots, 179 nonpartisan ballots and 58 crossover ballots. The Stutsman County auditor also reported 671 early voters by Thursday, June 4, a total that surpassed early-voting numbers from the 2022 and 2024 primaries. As of 5 p.m. that same day, 170 absentee ballots had been requested and 114 returned.
Several county offices were already set for the fall ballot without a primary fight. Chad Kaiser will run for sheriff, Fritz Fremgen for state’s attorney and Geneva Kaiser for director of the Garrison Diversion Conservancy. James Shockman, unopposed for a judgeship chambered in Jamestown, also moved on. The North Dakota Secretary of State labeled the June 9 results unofficial on its new election-night reporting site, but the November ballot is now taking shape well before campaign season hits full stride.
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