Is North Dakota a red state?
Yes, and firmly so. North Dakota is one of the most Republican states in the country, backed Donald Trump by about 37 points in 2024, and gives the GOP total control of the Capitol in Bismarck. Here is what the numbers actually show.
Talk to a North Dakota agent Explore North Dakota →North Dakota has been reliably red for generations
North Dakota has not backed a Democrat for president since 1964, one of the longest Republican streaks in the country. Its politics are anchored by an agricultural and energy economy and a deeply conservative rural culture. The election results show just how lopsided it has become.
Red for generations
North Dakota last backed a Democrat for president in 1964 and has been reliably Republican ever since. In 2024 Donald Trump carried it by about 37 points, taking roughly 67 percent of the vote.
The dominance runs down the entire ballot. Republicans hold the governor's office, both U.S. Senate seats, the lone U.S. House seat, every statewide office, and supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature. Democratic strength is limited to parts of Fargo and the tribal areas.
The pattern is consistent across North Dakota's 53 counties. Republicans carry nearly all of them, with the few Democratic-leaning areas in Cass County around Fargo and on the reservations.
Four cycles, one direction
2012
Romney won North Dakota by about 20 points as the state stayed firmly Republican.
2016
Trump won by more than 35 points, sweeping nearly every county.
2020
Trump won by about 33 points, carrying the state with ease.
2024
Trump won by about 37 points, one of his widest margins anywhere.
Unified Republican control
Republicans hold the governor's office under Kelly Armstrong, both U.S. Senate seats, the state's lone U.S. House seat, every statewide elected office, and supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature. Republican priorities move through Bismarck with little resistance, and the state has moved to sharply cut its income tax.
Practically, this means Republican policy priorities move through the legislature with little friction. If you are evaluating North Dakota on the basis of policy direction rather than any single election, that unified control matters more than any one result.
What a statewide label does not tell you
North Dakota is not uniformly conservative
Parts of Fargo and the tribal areas lean Democratic, but they make up a small share of the statewide vote. If you are moving to be near like-minded neighbors, the county and the community matter far more than the statewide label.
2026 is an active election year
North Dakota holds a U.S. House race and legislative elections in November. In a state this red, the competitive contests usually happen in Republican primaries, so the statewide lean tells you more about direction than any single result.
None of this changes the underlying answer. A state can be reliably red and still hold competitive individual races. Plan around the place you are actually moving to, not the label.
North Dakota's most conservative regions
Bismarck-Mandan
The capital region. A stable, family-friendly, deeply conservative community with a strong job market and low crime.
West Fargo & the Suburbs
Fast-growing, family-oriented communities on the edge of the state's largest metro, with strong schools.
The Bakken: Williston & Dickinson
Oil-country boomtowns in the west. High wages, low taxes, and heavy Republican margins.
Minot & the North
An Air Force community and regional hub. Conservative, affordable, and tight-knit.
North Dakota's Rural Counties
From the Red River Valley to the western Badlands. Farming and ranching country with wide-open spaces and heavy Republican margins.
North Dakota's political makeup, answered
Was North Dakota always a red state?
Yes, for generations. North Dakota has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1968 and last backed a Democrat in 1964.
Is North Dakota more conservative than South Dakota?
By recent presidential margin, they are close. Trump carried North Dakota by about 37 points in 2024 and South Dakota by a similar margin. Both are among the most Republican states, with GOP supermajorities in their legislatures.
Does North Dakota have a state income tax?
Yes, but it is among the lowest in the nation. North Dakota's top individual income tax rate is about 2.5 percent, and most residents pay very little, with the state moving toward eliminating the tax entirely.
Which North Dakota counties are the most conservative?
By recent voting margin, rural counties across the state are strongly Republican. Among larger counties, Burleigh around Bismarck and Ward around Minot combine population with wide Republican margins.
How many North Dakota counties lean Democratic?
Only a few of North Dakota's 53 counties lean Democratic, mainly Cass County around Fargo and a couple of reservation counties. Republicans carry the rest.
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