Kelly Armstrong Bio
Kelly Michael Armstrong (born October 8, 1976) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 34th governor of North Dakota. A member of the Republican Party, he took office in December 2024 after defeating Democratic-NPL nominee Merrill Piepkorn in the 2024 gubernatorial election. Before becoming governor, Armstrong represented North Dakota’s at-large congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2019 until he resigned to assume the governorship.
Born and raised in North Dakota, Armstrong built a career in law and business before entering public service. He previously served in the North Dakota State Senate for the 36th district and chaired the North Dakota Republican Party. He is married to Kjersti Høiby, and the couple has two children.
Early Life and Background
Kelly Michael Armstrong was born on October 8, 1976, in Dickinson, North Dakota. He grew up in his hometown and graduated from Dickinson High School in 1995. Armstrong went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of North Dakota in 2001, continuing his studies at the same university to complete a Juris Doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 2003, after spending his first year of law school at the College of William & Mary in Virginia.
While at the University of North Dakota, Armstrong met Kjersti Høiby, a Norwegian citizen. He is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and developed a lifelong love of baseball, a sport he has played, coached, and championed throughout his life. These early years in Dickinson and Grand Forks shaped his values and laid the foundation for his future in law and public service.
Path to US Politics
Before entering politics, Armstrong worked in private legal practice and business. He became a partner at the law firm Reichert Armstrong, which maintained offices in Grand Forks and Dickinson. He also served as vice president of Armstrong Corp, gaining experience in both the legal and business sectors of North Dakota.
Armstrong first entered elected office in 2012, winning a seat in the North Dakota State Senate for the 36th district, a position he held until 2018. In 2015, he was elected chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party, serving in that leadership role until 2018. These early positions established him as a rising figure in state-level Republican politics and prepared him for a run for federal office.
Kelly Armstrong Career
Early Career (2013–2018)
Armstrong began his political career in the North Dakota State Senate in 2013, representing the 36th district. During his six years in the state legislature, he focused on issues important to his constituents in western North Dakota and built a reputation as a conservative policymaker. In 2015, he was elected to chair the North Dakota Republican Party, a role he held for three years.
His time as party chairman and state senator gave Armstrong a strong political base in North Dakota. By the time he announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in February 2018, he had earned the endorsement of the North Dakota Republican Party at its state convention in April 2018, setting the stage for a successful congressional bid.
U.S. House of Representatives Breakthrough (2019–2024)
Armstrong won the November 2018 election for North Dakota’s at-large congressional district with 60.2% of the vote, replacing Kevin Cramer, who had been elected to the United States Senate. He took office in January 2019 and was reelected twice, first with 68.96% of the vote and then with 62.2%.
During his time in Congress, Armstrong participated in several notable votes. In 2022, he was one of 47 Republicans to vote for the Respect for Marriage Act, a decision that drew criticism from some in his state party and led to a near-censure vote during a state party meeting. He was one of seven Republicans who did not support efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results on January 6, 2021. In 2023, he joined 105 House Republicans in voting to expel George Santos, and he was appointed to fill a vacancy on the House Judiciary Committee left by Mike Johnson’s election as Speaker of the House.
Armstrong also voted to provide Israel with support following the 2023 Hamas attack and voted against censuring Representative Rashida Tlaib. In December 2024, he submitted his letter of resignation from Congress effective that night in order to take office as governor of North Dakota the next day.
Governor of North Dakota Era (2024–Present)
Armstrong announced on January 23, 2024, that he would not seek reelection to the House and would instead run for governor of North Dakota. He won the Republican primary on June 11, 2024, after a competitive primary against Lieutenant Governor Tammy Miller, and chose state representative Michelle Strinden as his running mate. In the general election, he defeated Merrill Piepkorn and independent Michael Coachman with 68.3% of the vote.
Armstrong and Strinden took office as governor and lieutenant governor on December 15, 2024. One of his first actions was to fill a vacant seat on the North Dakota Public Service Commission. In February 2025, he signed into law the primary residence portion of a property tax reform plan, with the rest of the plan signed in May 2025. In April 2025, he signed a bill capping the price of insulin at $25 per month. During the 2025 federal government shutdown, he unveiled a plan to provide low-interest loans to North Dakota’s federal workers and directed funding to food assistance when SNAP benefits were threatened.
Notable Events and Milestones
Armstrong’s tenure as governor has been marked by his property tax reform effort, disaster response to tornadoes that hit the state in June 2025, and meetings with the leadership of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on federal funding and economic development. He also made a controversial decision to fly flags at full staff on inauguration day in 2025, drawing backlash, and later vetoed a bill that would have forced public libraries to ban explicit content, a decision that led to a state party censure in June 2025.
Kelly Armstrong Career Wins
Kelly Armstrong has compiled a record of electoral victories across state and federal offices. From his early win in the North Dakota State Senate to his gubernatorial election, he has consistently won with strong margins among North Dakota voters.
Political Career Highlights
Armstrong won his first congressional race in November 2018 with 60.2% of the vote, followed by reelection victories with 68.96% and 62.2% in his subsequent House races. In the 2024 gubernatorial election, he won the Republican primary against Tammy Miller and then secured the governorship with 68.3% of the vote in the general election. His most recent win was his assumption of the governorship on December 15, 2024.
Other Achievements
Beyond electoral wins, Armstrong achieved notable legislative accomplishments, including chairing the North Dakota Republican Party from 2015 to 2018 and being appointed to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023. As governor, he signed major legislation on property tax reform and insulin price caps into law.
Kelly Armstrong Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Kelly Michael Armstrong was born and raised in Dickinson, North Dakota, and remains closely tied to his home state. He met his wife, Kjersti Høiby, a Norwegian citizen, while the two were students at the University of North Dakota. They married in 2004, and Kjersti became a dual U.S. citizen in 2021.
Personal Life
Armstrong and Kjersti have two children. He is an avid baseball fan who has played and coached the sport, and his inaugural gala as governor was themed around baseball. The family has strong ties to North Dakota, where Armstrong continues to reside and serve as governor.