Merrill Piepkorn

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Merrill Piepkorn

|image = ND State Senator Merrill Piepkorn (cropped).jpg

|caption = Piepkorn in 2010

|state_senate = North Dakota

|district = 44th

|term_start = December 1, 2016

|term_end = December 1, 2024

|predecessor = Tim Flakoll

|successor = Joshua Boschee

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|6|9}}

|birth_place = Stanley, North Dakota, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Democratic-NPL

|spouse = Connie

|children = 1

|education = Concordia College (BA)
North Dakota State University

|website = {{URL| https://ndlegis.gov/biography/merrill-piepkorn |Official website}}

}}

Merrill Piepkorn (born June 9, 1949){{cite web |title=Merrill Piepkorn |url=https://voterly.com/politicians/iBbdSXIgMv/merrill-piepkorn |website=voterly.com |publisher=Voterly |access-date=10 April 2024 |date=2024}} is an American entertainer and politician who served in the North Dakota Senate from the 44th district from 2016 to 2024. He is a member of the Democratic-NPL Party. He has also hosted radio shows on Prairie Public Radio and served as the public address announcer for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.

In 2024, Piepkorn won the Democratic nomination for governor of North Dakota, and lost to Republican nominee Kelly Armstrong in the general election.

Early life and career

Piepkorn was born on June 9, 1949.{{Cite web|url=https://demnpl.com/event/merrill-piepkorns-75th-birthday/|title=Merrill Piepkorn's 75th Birthday!|website=Dem-NPL Party|accessdate=April 17, 2025}} He attended Concordia College. While he was enrolled there, he began playing music with Gregg Temple, a fellow student, in 1972. He graduated from Concordia in 1974. After graduating, Piepkorn and Temple co-founded a country band called Skunk Hollow.{{Cite web|url=https://www.minotdailynews.com/life/arts-entertainment/2018/06/radio-stars-return-to-sibyl-hall/|title=Radio Stars return to Sibyl Hall|work=Minot Daily News|date=June 22, 2018|accessdate=April 5, 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.inforum.com/lifestyle/arts-and-entertainment/making-a-scene-the-voice-of-north-dakota|title=Making a Scene: The voice of North Dakota|date=March 30, 2014|website=InForum|accessdate=April 5, 2024}}

Piepkorn worked for Prairie Public Radio, hosting "Morning Edition" while he was a graduate student at North Dakota State University. In 1999, he co-created and began hosting the radio show "Here & Now".{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bismarck-tribune-radio-program-lets/144768125/|title=Radio Program lets listeners talk|newspaper=The Bismarck Tribune |date=July 9, 1999|pages=17|via=newspapers.com|accessdate=April 5, 2024}} Piepkorn became the public address announcer for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, a Minor League Baseball team, for the 1997 season. He stayed in the role through the 2006 season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.inforum.com/sports/pa-announcer-walks-away-from-redhawks|title=PA announcer walks away from RedHawks|date=March 20, 2007|website=InForum|accessdate=April 5, 2024}} Piepkorn and Temple co-founded a band called the Radio Stars in 2008.{{Cite web|url=https://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/dakota-air-radio-broadcast-comes-to-wishek/article_05ed9a3c-4f3c-11e0-b8dd-001cc4c002e0.html|title="Dakota Air" radio broadcast comes to Wishek|date=March 18, 2011|website=The Bismarck Tribune|accessdate=April 5, 2024}} He created, hosted, and served as executive producer of "Dakota Air" on Prairie Public Radio, which debuted in 2010.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jamestownsun.com/news/radio-show-highlighting-communities-to-start|title=Radio show highlighting communities to start|date=August 26, 2010|website=Jamestown Sun|accessdate=April 5, 2024}}

Political career

Piepkorn ran for the North Dakota Senate as a member of the Democratic-NPL Party in 2016. He defeated Tim Flakoll, the incumbent state senator, in the November general election.{{cite web|url=https://kfgo.com/news/articles/2016/nov/09/democrats-win-in-district-44-republicans-take-46-16/ |title=Democrats win in District 44, Republicans take 46, 16 |website=Kfgo.com |date=November 9, 2016 |accessdate=February 8, 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110172731/https://kfgo.com/news/articles/2016/nov/09/democrats-win-in-district-44-republicans-take-46-16/|archivedate=November 10, 2016}} Flakoll sought a rematch in 2020, and Piepkorn won reelection.{{Cite web|url=https://kfgo.com/2020/11/03/piepkorn-roers-roers-jones-kasper-re-elected-to-nd-legislature/|title=Piepkorn, Roers, Roers-Jones, Kasper re-elected to ND legislature|first=Paul|last=Jurgens|accessdate=April 5, 2024}} He won reelection in 2022 with 62% of the vote against Republican Bjorn Altenburg.{{Cite web|url=https://www.inforum.com/news/fargo/voters-in-cass-and-clay-counties-elect-27-state-lawmakers|title=Voters in Cass and Clay counties elect 27 state lawmakers|date=November 9, 2022|website=InForum|accessdate=April 5, 2024}} In November 2022, Piepkorn was elected to serve as assistant minority leader of the state senate.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndliving.com/new-legislators-new-leadership-nd-legislature|title=New legislators, new leadership in N.D. Legislature|date=November 28, 2022|website=North Dakota Living|accessdate=April 5, 2024}}

On April 2, 2024, Piepkorn announced that he would run for governor of North Dakota in the 2024 election.{{Cite web |last=Hjelmstad |first=Gretchen |date=April 2, 2024 |title=Merrill Piepkorn launches campaign for Governor of North Dakota |url=https://www.valleynewslive.com/2024/04/02/merrill-piepkorn-launches-campaign-governor-north-dakota/ |access-date=April 3, 2024 |website=KVLY-TV |language=en}} He won the party's nomination at their convention in April. He selected Patrick Hart as his running mate for lieutenant governor of North Dakota.{{cite web|url=https://northdakotamonitor.com/2024/04/06/piepkorn-has-democrats-singing-names-hart-as-running-mate/|title=Piepkorn has Democrats singing, names Hart as running mate|first=Jeff|last=Beach|work=North Dakota Monitor|date=April 6, 2024|accessdate=April 8, 2024}} He went off against Congressman Kelly Armstrong and Michael Coachman. He lost the election to Kelly Armstrong.{{Cite web|url=https://northdakotamonitor.com/2024/11/05/ap-calls-race-for-armstrong-for-north-dakota-governor/|title=Armstrong wins, keeps Republican streak of North Dakota governors alive • North Dakota Monitor|first1=Jeff|last1=Beach|first2=Mary|last2=Steurer|date=November 6, 2024|accessdate=April 17, 2025}}

Personal life

Piepkorn and his wife Connie live in Fargo, North Dakota. They have one son and two grandchildren. He is Lutheran.{{cite web |url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/170626/merrill-piepkorn|title=Merrill Piepkorn's Biography|publisher=Vote Smart|access-date=October 2, 2024}}

References

External links

[https://www.merrillfornd.com/ Merrill for North Dakota] campaign website
[https://ndlegis.gov/biography/merrill-piepkorn Senator Merrill Piepkorn] legislative website

{{s-bef

| before = Tim Flakoll

}}

{{s-ttl

| title = Member of the North Dakota Senate
from the 44th district

| years = 2016–2024

}}

{{s-aft

| after = Joshua Boschee

}}

{{s-bef

| before = Shelley Lenz