The Ballot Brief
McLean County, North Dakota

North Dakota District Court, South Central Judicial District, Judgeship No. 8

Hill was on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Names follow official McLean County election filings. Certified results will appear here once the election office certifies the count. North Dakota certifies the general election by November 20, 2026; county canvasses are due November 16. Official results: results.sos.nd.gov.

About this race

James S. Hill is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for this seat on the South Central Judicial District, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. James S. Hill is the sitting judge in this seat, per the North Dakota Court System's district court judges roster. Every voter in Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan, and Sioux counties elects this seat, since North Dakota district judges are elected district-wide across the South Central Judicial District (North Dakota Supreme Court Administrative Rule 6 (effective 8/11/2021)). North Dakota district court races are nonpartisan.

What this office does

Trial court judge. A trial judge presides over criminal and civil cases at the first level: bail and pleas, motions, trials, sentencing and civil judgments. Judges are bound by state law and appellate precedent and are barred by judicial conduct rules from campaigning on how they would rule. Most states elect trial judges on a nonpartisan ballot; the term and the courts a judge may sit on vary by state.

This race. Nonpartisan: candidates appear without party labels. The sitting officeholder, James S. Hill, is on the ballot. One name is on the ballot for this seat.

This list comes from official election records but may be incomplete. It can miss, for example, late or petition candidates and some city, school and district races. Your official sample ballot is the final word.

We use AI to research and write election information. Errors are possible. Verify important details with official sources.

North Dakota › McLean County › North Dakota District Court, South Central Judicial District, Judgeship No. 8

Who won? The official answer comes November 20.

North Dakota makes results final in three steps.
✓
Done · Nov 3
Votes were cast and counted
Election night totals are a first count, not the final one.
2
Happening now · by Nov 16
McLean County double-checks its count
The county reviews mail ballots, provisional ballots and any recount, then sends official totals to the state.
3
Next · Nov 20
North Dakota makes it official
The State canvassing board certifies the result. The winner appears on this page that day.

What local news is reporting

Not official yetUpdated November 5, 2026

This report is cited to the outlet that published it. We do not call races. Official running count: North Dakota official results.

North Dakota District Court, South Central Judicial District, Judgeship No. 8
No report found yet

Reports are checked daily until North Dakota certifies on November 20; a certified winner replaces the report on that day.

James S. Hill

NonpartisanIncumbent

Biography

James S. Hill is a sitting judge of the South Central Judicial District, appointed to the bench in 2014, per the North Dakota Court System. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.

Next on the ballotNorth Dakota District Court, South Central Judicial District, Judgeship No. 10

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Voting info and more

Voting info and more
Questions about this race

Who is running for North Dakota District Court, South Central Judicial District, Judgeship No. 8 in 2026?

One candidate was tracked for North Dakota District Court, South Central Judicial District, Judgeship No. 8 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: James S. Hill. Candidate information follows official McLean County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the North Dakota District Court, South Central Judicial District, Judgeship No. 8 election in North Dakota?

Election Day was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Certified results will appear on this page as the election office certifies them. North Dakota certifies the general election by November 20, 2026; county canvasses are due November 16. Official results: https://results.sos.nd.gov/. Voting rules for North Dakota are on the North Dakota election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact McLean County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Who won the North Dakota District Court, South Central Judicial District, Judgeship No. 8 race?

Not yet reported by the outlets we checked; North Dakota certifies on November 20. We do not call races.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official McLean County and state election office filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official North Dakota election office, or see the full McLean County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your McLean County ballot

7 tracked races in McLean County, North Dakota. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on the November 3 ballot
North Dakota Senate District 33North Dakota House District 33North Dakota District Court, South Central Judicial District, Judgeship No. 2See all 7 McLean County races
Candidate profiles
James S. Hill, full profileOfficial North Dakota election office