Williams County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
Who is running for County Auditor, County Commissioner, and County Sheriff and more, with bios, priorities and campaign sites.
County offices
AuditorNonpartisan race · Beth M Innis
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Beth M Innis
Beth M Innis is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Williams County Auditor, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Beth M Innis is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageCommissioner, District 1Nonpartisan race · Beau Anderson
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Beau Anderson
Beau Anderson is the sitting Williams County Commissioner for District 1, serving as vice chairman of the commission, per Williams County government. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Beau Anderson is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageCommissioner, District 3Nonpartisan race · Cory Hanson
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Cory Hanson
Cory Hanson is the sitting Williams County Commissioner for District 3, serving as chairman of the commission, per Williams County government. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Cory Hanson is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageCommissioner, District 5Nonpartisan race · Carla Couture · Barry Ramberg
Carla Couture and Barry Ramberg are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Williams County Commissioner, District 5.
Carla Couture
Carla Couture is a candidate for Williams County Commissioner, District 5, per the Williston Herald. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Barry Ramberg
Barry Ramberg is the sitting Williams County Commissioner for District 5, representing central and eastern Williams County including Tioga and Ray, per the Williston Herald. He has served on the commission for 16 years, per the Williston Herald. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
2 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Williams County Commissioner, District 5, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageSheriffNonpartisan race · Momcilo Babic · Verlan Kvande
Momcilo Babic and Verlan Kvande are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Williams County Sheriff.
Momcilo Babic
Momcilo Babic was born in Serbia and immigrated to the United States at age 17, per his campaign site. He has 13 years of law enforcement experience, including six years as a detective handling major crimes and six years with the Williston Police Department, per his campaign site. He served six years in the Army National Guard, including an overseas deployment as a combat veteran, per his campaign site.
Verlan Kvande
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Maintaining professional, dedicated law enforcement services and the safety and security of Williams County residents
- Upholding rigorous training standards and retaining experienced deputies
- Equipping deputies with necessary protective tools and resources
About Verlan Kvande
Verlan Kvande is a lifelong Williams County resident who began his law enforcement career with the Williams County Sheriff's Office in 1998 as a corrections deputy and has served as sheriff for nine years, per his campaign site. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command, per his campaign site.
2 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Williams County Sheriff, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageState's AttorneyNonpartisan race · Jaakan Williams
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Jaakan Williams
Jaakan Williams serves as Williams County State's Attorney, with a current term running from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2026, per the county's official website. No campaign website was found as of October 6, 2026.
Jaakan Williams is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageTreasurer/RecorderNonpartisan race · Terri Bendixson
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Terri Bendixson
Terri Bendixson is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Williams County Treasurer/Recorder, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Terri Bendixson is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election Contest/Candidate List.
Full race pageJudges
North Dakota District Court, Northwest Judicial District, Judgeship No. 2Nonpartisan race · Benjamen J. Johnson
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Benjamen J. Johnson
Benjamen J. Johnson is a sitting judge of the Northwest Judicial District, appointed to the bench in 2017, per the North Dakota Court System. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Benjamen J. Johnson is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for this seat on the Northwest Judicial District, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. Benjamen J. Johnson is the sitting judge in this seat, per the North Dakota Court System's district court judges roster. Every voter in Divide, McKenzie, and Williams counties elects this seat, since North Dakota district judges are elected district-wide across the Northwest Judicial District (North Dakota Supreme Court Administrative Rule 6 (effective 8/11/2021)). North Dakota district court races are nonpartisan.
Full race pageNorth Dakota District Court, Northwest Judicial District, Judgeship No. 3Nonpartisan race · Chas Neff, Jr.
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Chas Neff, Jr.
Chas Neff, Jr. is a sitting judge of the Northwest Judicial District, appointed to the bench in 2023, per the North Dakota Court System. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Chas Neff, Jr. is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for this seat on the Northwest Judicial District, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. Chas Neff, Jr. is the sitting judge in this seat, per the North Dakota Court System's district court judges roster. Every voter in Divide, McKenzie, and Williams counties elects this seat, since North Dakota district judges are elected district-wide across the Northwest Judicial District (North Dakota Supreme Court Administrative Rule 6 (effective 8/11/2021)). North Dakota district court races are nonpartisan.
Full race pageNorth Dakota District Court, Northwest Judicial District, Judgeship No. 4Nonpartisan race · Robin A. Schmidt
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Robin A. Schmidt
Robin A. Schmidt is a sitting judge of the Northwest Judicial District (Presiding Judge), appointed to the bench in 2013, per the North Dakota Court System. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Robin A. Schmidt is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for this seat on the Northwest Judicial District, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. Robin A. Schmidt is the sitting judge in this seat, per the North Dakota Court System's district court judges roster. Every voter in Divide, McKenzie, and Williams counties elects this seat, since North Dakota district judges are elected district-wide across the Northwest Judicial District (North Dakota Supreme Court Administrative Rule 6 (effective 8/11/2021)). North Dakota district court races are nonpartisan.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Williams County is split across 4 North Dakota Senate and House districts.
Find your districts by addressNorth Dakota Senate: 2 districtsDistricts 1, 23
North Dakota Senate District 1Brad Bekkedahl (Republican)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Brad Bekkedahl
Brad Bekkedahl is the Republican incumbent for North Dakota Senate District 1. Bekkedahl is a dentist in Williston, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Bekkedahl holds degrees from the University of Jamestown, the University of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, and served in the U.S. Army Reserves and the North Dakota National Guard, retiring as a colonel, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Bekkedahl has also served on the Williston Park Board and as Williston City Finance Commissioner. Bekkedahl was first elected to the Senate in 2015 and serves as President Pro Tempore. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Brad Bekkedahl (R) is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Dakota Senate District 1; unopposed candidates still appear on North Dakota ballots, so the race is on the ballot but is not contested. Brad Bekkedahl is the sitting member, per the Legislative Assembly's members-by-district roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 9, 2026 primary, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list.
Full race pageNorth Dakota Senate District 23Todd Beard (Republican)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Todd Beard
Todd Beard is the R nominee for North Dakota Senate District 23 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list. Todd Beard is the sitting member, per the Legislative Assembly's members-by-district roster. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Todd Beard (R) is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Dakota Senate District 23; unopposed candidates still appear on North Dakota ballots, so the race is on the ballot but is not contested. Todd Beard is the sitting member, per the Legislative Assembly's members-by-district roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 9, 2026 primary, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list.
Full race pageNorth Dakota House: 2 districtsDistricts 1, 23
North Dakota House District 1Laurie Garbel (Republican) · Alex Johnson (D) · David Richter (Republican) · Steve Thoring (D)
Laurie Garbel
Laurie Garbel is the R nominee for North Dakota House District 1 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Alex Johnson
Alex Johnson is the Democratic-NPL nominee for North Dakota House District 1 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
David Richter
David Richter is a retired college faculty member and administrator, now professor emeritus, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. He has served on the boards of Northwest Human Services and the Western Region Economic Development Corporation, per the same source. Richter, of Williston, has represented District 1 in the North Dakota House since 2019, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Steve Thoring
Steve Thoring is a Williston resident and a graduate of Williston High School with an associate degree in electrical technology, per his North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party candidate page. He began his career as an electrician at the Homestake Mine in South Dakota before working for the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration as a mine rescue team member and fatal accident investigator, per the same source. Thoring, a Democratic-NPL candidate for North Dakota House District 1, has raised his family in Williston. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Laurie Garbel (R), Alex Johnson (Democratic-NPL), David Richter (R), Steve Thoring (Democratic-NPL) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Dakota House District 1. Voters choose two. David Richter is the sitting member, per the Legislative Assembly's members-by-district roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 9, 2026 primary, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list.
Full race pageNorth Dakota House District 23Corey Johnson (Republican) · Dennis Nehring (Republican)
Corey Johnson
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Ensuring fiscally responsible, long-term support for firefighters, EMS and law enforcement
- Limiting government growth and returning excess revenue to taxpayers
- Defending North Dakota's energy industry and reinvesting Williston Basin revenue locally
About Corey Johnson
Johnson serves as fire chief of the Williston Fire Department and has spent nearly two decades in emergency services as a firefighter, paramedic and emergency services leader, per the campaign site. Johnson is a state and national fire and EMS instructor, per the campaign site.
Dennis Nehring
Dennis Nehring is retired, with a degree in animal science from North Dakota State University, per the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. He served in the U.S. Army from 1972 to 1974 and is a member of the American Legion and VFW, per the same source. Nehring, of Williston, has represented District 23 in the North Dakota House since 2024. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Corey Johnson (R), Dennis Nehring (R) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Dakota House District 23. Voters choose two. Dennis Nehring is the sitting member, per the Legislative Assembly's members-by-district roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 9, 2026 primary, per the North Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list.
Full race pageVoting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
North Dakota's field is the Secretary of State's general election candidate list. Party nominees (Republican, Democratic-NPL, Libertarian) were chosen at the June 9, 2026 primary. Legislators serve staggered four-year terms, so only the odd-numbered districts elect a senator and two representatives this year (House races say voters choose two); a few even-numbered districts fill an unexpired two-year House term. Judges and the superintendent of public instruction run without party labels. Unopposed candidates still appear on the ballot.
Who is on the ballot in Williams County, North Dakota on November 3, 2026?
Williams County sample ballot 2026: who is running for county commissioner, county sheriff and county auditor, with bios, priorities and campaign sites. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in North Dakota?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for North Dakota are listed on the North Dakota election hub. North Dakota election hub →
How do I see my exact Williams County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Sample ballot by ZIP code in Williams County9 ZIP codes
Candidate roster last updated Oct 24, 2026 from official election sources.