Update: The race is officially called for Burgum. The final results fluctuated only slightly from our first call. Burgum ended up with 76.2 percent and Nelson got 19.8 percent.
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Doug Burgum won North Dakota’s race for governor. It was a landslide victory – 78.9 percent. His Democrat rival, Marvin Nelson, only received 19.0 percent.
North Dakota is the epicenter of a controversial protest. Tensions are escalating over the North Dakota Access Pipeline. Protesters claim the pipe is desecrating sacred land to the Native Americans.
Check out more election results here.
Governor races are not isolated state-by-state issues. They are important for the performance of the parties in other races. The Governor either stands or gives up in protecting states’ rights against federal overreach. NPR’s Jessica Taylor points out that, “some of the biggest policy battles in the country this year have originated on a state, not a federal, level. From environmental concerns to religious freedom laws to school choice to social issues and more, governors will be on those frontlines.”