Karen Karls and Bob Martinson, both Republican incumbents, are running in North Dakota’s contested State House District 35 election. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
The two candidates have the same party affiliation and the same status as current officeholders. That makes this a race in which the basic ballot descriptions — Republican and incumbent — do not distinguish one candidate from the other.
The District 35 field
District 35’s State House election is designated as contested. The field consists of Karls and Martinson, and both are Republicans serving as incumbents.
An incumbent is a candidate who already holds the office. In this race, neither candidate is running with the challenger label. The field also does not present voters with a choice between different political parties because both candidates appear under the Republican label.
Those shared descriptions define what is unusual about the contest. Many races can be framed around an incumbent facing a challenger or candidates representing different parties. District 35 instead has two candidates who share both of those central ballot identifiers.
Karen Karls
Karen Karls is a Republican incumbent running for the North Dakota State House in District 35. She is one of the two candidates in the contested 2026 general election.
Karls enters the race as a current officeholder rather than as a first-time challenger. Her Republican affiliation matches Martinson’s, so party identification alone does not separate her from the other candidate in the field.
No candidate-specific policy position is established for Karls in the race at this stage. The central confirmed facts about her candidacy are her name, Republican affiliation and incumbent status.
Bob Martinson
Bob Martinson is a Republican incumbent running for the North Dakota State House in District 35. He is one of the two candidates in the contested 2026 general election.
Martinson also enters the race as a current officeholder rather than as a first-time challenger. His Republican affiliation matches Karls’, so party identification alone does not separate him from the other candidate in the field.
No candidate-specific policy position is established for Martinson in the race at this stage. The central confirmed facts about his candidacy are his name, Republican affiliation and incumbent status.
What voters will decide
The District 35 contest will appear as part of North Dakota’s general election on Nov. 3, 2026. Both candidates are seeking State House office in the same district while carrying the same party label and incumbent designation.
The race therefore cannot be understood simply as a choice between parties or between an officeholder and a challenger. Candidate-specific priorities and differences would provide the clearest basis for comparison if they emerge during the campaign.
The process to watch is how the District 35 field and campaign develop before Election Day. Any candidate statements on policy, public appearances or other campaign activity could help voters distinguish between Karls and Martinson without relying on party affiliation or incumbent status.
