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Justice of the Supreme Court
2026 North Dakota Justice of the Supreme Court — General Election · November 3, 2026
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North Dakota Secretary of State — 2026 General Election Certified Candidate List
Contest: Justice of the Supreme Court
Candidate: Jerod Tufte
Party: Nonpartisan
Term length: 10 years
Jurisdiction: Statewide
Mailing address: PO Box 128
Mailing address: Robinson ND 58478
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://tufte.us/
Only contact details published in official filing records, FEC filings, or a verified candidate-owned source with retained exact evidence appear here.
PO Box 128 · Robinson ND 58478
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Mailing address: PO Box 128
Mailing address: Robinson ND 58478
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://tufte.us/
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Engineer. Prosecutor. Soldier. Counselor. Judge. A North Dakotan who has served at every level.
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Engineer. Prosecutor. Soldier. Counselor. Judge. A North Dakotan who has served at every level.
Jerod Tufte was born in Minot, North Dakota, in 1975 and attended West Fargo public schools. He lives in rural Kidder County with his wife, Mylynn. They have three children.
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Jerod Tufte was born in Minot, North Dakota, in 1975 and attended West Fargo public schools. He lives in rural Kidder County with his wife, Mylynn. They have three children.
Justice Tufte earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, magna cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University in 1997. He worked as a computer engineer for Motorola before deciding to study law. He earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Arizona State University College of Law in 2002, graduating first in his class of 151.
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Justice Tufte earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, magna cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University in 1997. He worked as a computer engineer for Motorola before deciding to study law. He earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Arizona State University College of Law in 2002, graduating first in his class of 151.
After law school, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Roger L. Wollman of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He then practiced law privately at a large law firm in Phoenix, Arizona, and in a main street law practice in Steele, North Dakota.
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After law school, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Roger L. Wollman of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He then practiced law privately at a large law firm in Phoenix, Arizona, and in a main street law practice in Steele, North Dakota.
In 2005, Justice Tufte was appointed State’s Attorney for Kidder County, and North Dakota voters elected him to that office in 2006 and again in 2010. From 2008 to 2016, he served as a Judge Advocate in the North Dakota Army National Guard, attaining the rank of Major and serving overseas in Kosovo. From 2011 to 2014, he served as legal counsel to Governor Jack Dalrymple.
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In 2005, Justice Tufte was appointed State’s Attorney for Kidder County, and North Dakota voters elected him to that office in 2006 and again in 2010. From 2008 to 2016, he served as a Judge Advocate in the North Dakota Army National Guard, attaining the rank of Major and serving overseas in Kosovo. From 2011 to 2014, he served as legal counsel to Governor Jack Dalrymple.
Justice Jerod Tufte has served North Dakota in many roles: as a county prosecutor, as legal counsel to the Governor, as a Judge Advocate in the North Dakota Army National Guard, as a district court judge, and since 2017 as a justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court.
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Justice Jerod Tufte has served North Dakota in many roles: as a county prosecutor, as legal counsel to the Governor, as a Judge Advocate in the North Dakota Army National Guard, as a district court judge, and since 2017 as a justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court.
Trained first as an engineer and then as a lawyer, Justice Tufte brings an analytical, text-first approach to the work of judging. He applies the law as written and decides the case in front of him without making promises about the next one.
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Trained first as an engineer and then as a lawyer, Justice Tufte brings an analytical, text-first approach to the work of judging. He applies the law as written and decides the case in front of him without making promises about the next one.
Born in Minot. Educated in West Fargo. A husband, a father of three, and — after more than a hundred marathons — a steady hand who finishes what he starts.
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Born in Minot. Educated in West Fargo. A husband, a father of three, and — after more than a hundred marathons — a steady hand who finishes what he starts.
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Trained first as an engineer and then as a lawyer, Justice Tufte brings an analytical, text-first approach to the work of judging. He applies the law as written and decides the case in front of him without making promises about the next one.
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Trained first as an engineer and then as a lawyer, Justice Tufte brings an analytical, text-first approach to the work of judging. He applies the law as written and decides the case in front of him without making promises about the next one.
Justices of the North Dakota Supreme Court are elected by the people of North Dakota in nonpartisan elections. They serve ten-year terms. When a vacancy opens mid-term, the Governor may appoint a justice from a list of nominees prepared by the Judicial Nominating Committee; the appointed justice must then stand for election at the next general election to fill the remainder of the term or begin a new one.
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Justices of the North Dakota Supreme Court are elected by the people of North Dakota in nonpartisan elections. They serve ten-year terms. When a vacancy opens mid-term, the Governor may appoint a justice from a list of nominees prepared by the Judicial Nominating Committee; the appointed justice must then stand for election at the next general election to fill the remainder of the term or begin a new one.
Supports a text-first judicial approach in which judges apply the words of statutes and constitutions rather than rewrite them.
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Apply Statutory and Constitutional Text as Written
Supports respecting precedent for legal stability while allowing courts to correct prior interpretations he considers demonstrably wrong.
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Respect Precedent While Correcting Demonstrably Wrong Interpretation
Supports deciding only the case and issues properly before the court as a means of preserving judicial independence.
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Decide Only Issues Properly Before the Court
Supports writing judicial decisions so they are understandable to litigants, lower courts, lawyers, and citizens.
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Explain Judicial Decisions Clearly
Led work on North Dakota Administrative Rules 41 and 41.1 to implement open-records and open-meetings requirements for the judicial branch.
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Expanded Judicial-Branch Transparency
Served on the North Dakota Judiciary Task Force on Artificial Intelligence examining responsible uses of emerging technology in court operations and access to justice.
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Studied Responsible AI Applications in the Courts
Chairs the Task Force on Lawyer Licensing and Alternative Legal Practice, which is reviewing regulatory and policy responses to North Dakota's lawyer shortage.
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Examined Licensing and Alternative-Practice Responses to the Lawyer Shortage
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Current Supreme Court Justices
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