North Dakota- The race for North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction has been decided with incumbent Kristen Baesler defeating challenger Jason Heitkamp by about a 57 to 43 margin.
Heitkamp, a former City Councilman and Republican state legislator from District 26 was a longshot but ended up running a competitive race against a longstanding incumbent. Based in Whapeton, Heitkamp is a distant relative of the Democratic family of the same name.
Baesler, 55, was first elected to the Non Partisan position in 2012. A former teacher and principal in the Bismarck public school system, her goal upon reelection is to "continue working for our students and families, supporting our schoolteachers, and ensuring our taxpayers’ substantial investment in education is spent wisely."
This is the first time Baesler has run for office without being endorsed by the state GOP, after their candidate Jim Bartlett finished third in the June primary. Despite this, she has been given another term to continue her work on education.
