The District 1 field
North Dakota House District 1 has a contested race in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The field consists of David Richter and Patrick Hatlestad. Both candidates are Republicans, and both are incumbents.
That makes the basic structure of this race different from a contest between candidates carrying different party labels. Voters will see two candidates from the same party, so the Republican label does not distinguish one candidate from the other. Incumbency also does not separate them because each currently holds office.
A contested designation means there is more than one candidate in the District 1 race. It does not mean the candidates have different party affiliations, and it does not indicate which candidate will receive more support. The general election will determine the result.
David Richter
David Richter is running as a Republican in the 2026 general election for North Dakota House District 1. He is an incumbent, meaning he already holds a District 1 seat in the North Dakota House.
Richter enters the race with the same listed party affiliation and officeholder status as Hatlestad. His name, Republican affiliation and incumbent status identify his place in the contest, but those labels do not settle how voters will evaluate the race. Voters can consider the priorities and arguments Richter presents during the campaign before casting their ballots.
Patrick Hatlestad
Patrick Hatlestad is running as a Republican in the 2026 general election for North Dakota House District 1. He is an incumbent, meaning he already holds a District 1 seat in the North Dakota House.
Hatlestad enters the race with the same listed party affiliation and officeholder status as Richter. His name, Republican affiliation and incumbent status identify his place in the contest, but those labels do not settle how voters will evaluate the race. Voters can consider the priorities and arguments Hatlestad presents during the campaign before casting their ballots.
What is contested
The contest centers on a District 1 House election featuring two current officeholders from the same party. Because Richter and Hatlestad are both Republicans and incumbents, neither party affiliation nor incumbent status provides a contrast between them. Any differences presented to voters will need to come through the candidates’ campaigns, including how each describes priorities for the district and the work of the North Dakota House.
The election is part of North Dakota’s 2026 general election and is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3. Until ballots are counted and the result is determined, incumbent status describes the candidates’ current relationship to the office; it does not determine the election outcome.
For District 1 voters, the central process questions are how the candidates present themselves during the campaign and what distinctions they draw before Election Day. The race should be evaluated on what each candidate says and does during the election, with the same standard applied to both.
