Rep. Bill Tveit, R-Hazen, speaks during a committee hearing opposing same-sex marriage on March 12, 2025. Tveit was among six North Dakota Republican incumbent lawmakers who lost primary challenges Tuesday. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
BISMARCK (North Dakota Monitor) – Six incumbent North Dakota legislators lost in Republican primary races Tuesday, including Rep. Jeff Hoverson and Rep. Bill Tveit, two lawmakers who championed culture war issues in recent sessions.
Other defeated Republican lawmakers include Rep. Eric Murphy, Sen. Kent Weston, Rep. Donna Henderson and Rep. Dustin McNally in complete but unofficial results.
Hoverson’s resume includes in 2025 being the chief sponsor of House Bill 1145 to require the display of the Ten Commandments in schools. Tveit was the lead sponsor and Hoverson a co-sponsor of a resolution in 2025 that urged the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn same-sex marriage. Both pieces of legislation failed.
Tveit also was the lead sponsor and Weston a co-sponsor of a bill that prevents K-12 public schools from having all-gender bathrooms and allows parents to file complaints. In addition, Tveit and Weston co-sponsored a controversial library bill in 2025 that many saw as a book ban. It prompted protests at libraries statewide and was vetoed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong.
Rep. Anna Novak of Hazen and coal industry executive Mike Heger of Underwood finished ahead of Tveit in District 33.
GOP-endorsed House candidates Hoverson and Crystal Hendrickson lost to Blaine DesLauriers and Tim Mihalick in District 3, which includes Minot.
Armstrong donated to the campaigns of DesLauriers and Mihalick along with 19 other candidates.
Murphy of Grand Forks, who teaches biomedical sciences at the University of North Dakota’s medical school, in 2025 introduced a bill to soften the state’s abortion ban. His bill failed 87-6, but prompted a primary challenge from Jill Chandler, who is favored by anti-abortion groups.
Chandler and Mike Holmes, who were endorsed by the Republican Party, finished ahead of Murphy for the District 43 House seats and will advance to the November election.
Murphy said in an interview he believes the combination of low voter turnout, Armstrong’s endorsement of Holmes, and losing the NDGOP District 43 endorsement factored into losing his primary.
“I think if the governor would have endorsed me, I think that could have made a difference, but he didn’t and that was his choice,” Murphy said in an interview Tuesday night. “I’m disappointed to say the least.”
In District 15, Kristen Kenner of Devils Lake defeated Weston of Sarles. Former state Sen. Judy Estenson also was running for the District 15 Senate seat even though she doesn’t live in the district. Weston was the GOP-endorsed candidate.
Kristen Kenner’s husband, Corry Kenner, finished ahead of Henderson for one of the two House seat endorsements along with incumbent Kathy Frelich. Weston, Frelich and Henderson were the GOP endorsed candidates.
Connie Osowski, who received the Republican Party endorsement, defeated McNally in District 43. McNally was appointed to fill a seat in the Grand Forks district that was vacated by Emily O’Brien, who resigned in 2025. McNally is the only candidate endorsed by Armstrong who lost Tuesday.
One Democrat lawmaker, Sen. Richard Marcellais of Belcourt, lost a challenge from Rep. Jayme Davis of Rollette for the District 9 Senate seat. That was the only contested race for Democrats.
The district that includes the Turtle Mountain and Spirit Lake reservations is one of the few Democratic-NPL strongholds outside of Fargo.
The five-way Fargo mayor’s race will create an opening in the state Senate. Democratic Sen. Josh Boschee won the race with about 47% of the vote. Boschee has said he planned to step down from the Legislature if elected mayor.
Election results do not become official until county canvassing boards meet on June 22.
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