Governor Kelly Armstrong

10/23/2026

The FM Area Diversion Project will protect nearly 260,000 people, including more than 1/5 of North Dakota’s population, from catastrophic flooding — a game-changer for our state.

Tonight we recognized and celebrated those who made it happen, from construction & engineering firms and land agents to city, county, state and federal partners.

It’s been an honor to support this project as a state senator, U.S. congressman and now governor, and we thank our Legislature, Congress and local residents for investing in this critical infrastructure for current and future generations.

10/20/2026

10/19/2026

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2026 Governor’s Photo Contest.

As someone who spends as much time outdoors as I can, I’m always proud to see the Governor’s Photo Contest showcase the places and experiences that make North Dakota special.

This year’s winners show the beauty and adventure that define our state. I can’t wait to see these displayed around the State Capitol.

Special congratulations to William Boyeff whose “September morning youth hunt in Western North Dakota” won the Governor’s Choice.

See all the photographs at ndtourism.com/2026-north-dakota-governors-photo-contest-winners.

10/19/2026

North Dakota’s deer herds have been hit hard by weather and disease over the last five years, and the latest outbreak of EHD is another serious setback.

Today, we’re taking action to protect our whitetail population by prohibiting antlerless whitetail harvest in four hunting units and offering license refunds and restored bonus points to eligible hunters in 13 additional units.

We want to minimize disruption to hunters while doing what’s necessary to protect our herds. If you hunt in an affected area, talk with your landowners, understand the conditions on the ground and consider returning your tag.

Our goal is to protect the herd today so future generations can enjoy the same hunting opportunities we’ve been fortunate to have in North Dakota.

Full press release: gf.nd.gov/news/9667

10/19/2026

WATCH: Armstrong, Williams discuss changes to upcoming deer hunting season.

10/16/2026

Today’s Bakken 2.0 Phase II announcement is about bringing government and industry together to unlock more of our state’s energy potential, build the infrastructure needed for the future and create opportunities that will benefit North Dakotans for generations.

Thank you to DOE Under Secretary Kyle Haustveit, Senator John Hoeven, the North Dakota Petroleum Foundation and our industry partners and other elected officials for helping drive this effort forward. With strong federal partners and an all-industry, all-government approach, we have a tremendous opportunity in front of us.

This isn’t just about one industry or western North Dakota. It’s about jobs, communities, tax relief, education and the long-term strength of our entire state.

10/15/2026

Proud to stand with Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump in the fight against fraud and ensure public benefits serve the Americans who truly need them. Fraud is theft from hardworking citizens, and we have a responsibility at every level of government to stop it and hold those responsible accountable.

Thank you for leading this effort.

Sign the pledge and join us in the War Against Fraud.

10/12/2026

On National Farmers Day, we say thank you to the hardworking men and women who feed the world, strengthen our communities and help drive North Dakota’s economy.

10/10/2026

Thanks to Karl Rove, Robbie Lauf and the TR Presidential Library for the great conversation on governance, leadership and turning ideas into action at UMary.

10/09/2026

Today we presented the 2026 Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Public Service, celebrating teams across state government for their outstanding service to North Dakota citizens during the last year.

We’re proud of these and all our state employees whose dedication to serving the citizens of North Dakota shines through in their daily work and makes our state the best place to live, work and raise a family.

Following are the award categories, descriptions and recipients:

Triple-Play Award: Department of Transportation’s Mobile Driver License Team, for its innovation and use of technology to successful deploy a mobile driver’s license across all three major wallet platforms – Apple, Google, and Samsung – on the same day, making North Dakota the first state to do so.

Prairie Pheasant Flush Award: Department of Health and Human Services’ Federal Government Shutdown Team, forquickly mobilizing and uniting state agencies, county partners and community organizations to ensure North Dakotans had clear, accurate and timely information during the unprecedented 43-day federal government shutdown in 2025.

Backbone Collaboration Award: North Dakota Department of Water Resources’ Cost-Share and Governance & Finance Study Teams, for conducting a comprehensive study of how North Dakota could maximize limited resources, fund water projects in more communities and strengthen the state’s water infrastructure for decades to come.

Strength from the Soil Award: North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Private Lands Section, for its work to improve wildlife habitat, expand public hunting opportunities, support ranchers and farmers and protect the state’s outdoor heritage, including through the Private Land Open to Sportsmen program, which is nearing its goal of 1 million acres enrolled.

Roaming Bison Award: Medora 250 and Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Coordination Team, for its planning and ex*****on of the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and President Donald Trump’s visit to Medora during the week of July 4th as the country observed the America 250 celebration with North Dakota in the national spotlight.

Lt. Gov. Strinden and I are grateful for everyone who nominated their colleagues for their exceptional efforts, and we congratulate all the award recipients and nominees.

Full press release: https://www.governor.nd.gov/news/armstrong-strinden-present-2026-governors-awards-excellence-public-service