MINOT — It may seem odd to call this election cycle a particularly consequential one for North Dakota given how slim the pickings will be at the top of the ballot.

FARGO — North Dakota’s longest-serving senator currently in the state Legislature is running for reelection. Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, announced Monday, Dec. 1, that he would seek another term representing District 11 during the 2026 election. He was first elected to the North Dakota Senate in 1986.

Students eating lunch at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School in Fargo. (North Dakota Monitor)FARGO (North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakotans may have the chance to cast their ballot on whether every public school student in the state can have breakfast and lunch for free.

An advocacy group submitted a petition to the North Dakota Secretary of State’s office on Wednesday in hopes of putting to a vote the issue of free breakfast and lunches for public school students.

The membership organization at its annual meeting Nov. 21-22 elected Val Wagner of Monango, North Dakota, as president. The group elected John Jacobson, of Hatton, North Dakota, as vice president.

North Dakota Supreme Court Justice Daniel Crothers has announced his intention to retire. In a notice to Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Crothers says he will step down on February 28, 2026 after serving more than 20 years on the high court.