Wayne Stenehjem
{{Short description|American politician (1953–2022)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Wayne Stenehjem
|image = Wayne Stenehjem crop.jpg
|office = 29th Attorney General of North Dakota
|governor = John Hoeven
Jack Dalrymple
Doug Burgum
|term_start = December 15, 2000
|term_end = January 28, 2022
|predecessor = Heidi Heitkamp
|successor = Drew Wrigley
|office1 = Member of the North Dakota Senate
|term_start1 = 1980
|term_end1 = 2000
|office2 = Member of the North Dakota House of Representatives
|term_start2 = 1976
|term_end2 = 1980
|birth_date = {{birth date|1953|2|5}}
|birth_place = Mohall, North Dakota, U.S.
|death_date = {{death date and age|2022|1|28|1953|2|5}}
|death_place = Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S.
|party = Republican
|relatives = Bob Stenehjem (brother)
|spouse = Beth Bakke Stenehjem
|children = 1
|education = Bismarck State College
University of North Dakota (BA, JD)
}}
Wayne Stenehjem ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|t|ɛ|n|dʒ|əm}} {{respell|STEN|jəm}}; February 5, 1953 – January 28, 2022) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 29th Attorney General of North Dakota from 2000 until his death in 2022.{{Cite web|last=Crane|first=Joel|title=ND Attorney General Stenehjem passes away|url=https://www.kfyrtv.com/2022/01/28/nd-attorney-general-stenehjem-responsive-after-being-taken-hospital/|access-date=2022-01-29|work=KFYR-TV|date=January 28, 2022 |language=en}} He sought the Republican nomination for governor of North Dakota in 2016 but lost the primary to Doug Burgum on June 14 by 20%.
Biography
Stenehjem was born in Mohall, North Dakota. He graduated from Bismarck High School in 1971 and Bismarck State College in 1972. He attended the University of North Dakota and the UND School of Law, graduating in 1977. Stenehjem was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1976, and served two terms there until 1980, when he was elected to the North Dakota Senate. He served in that capacity until 2000, when he became Attorney General of North Dakota.{{cite web|url=http://www.ag.state.nd.us/About/FormerAttorneysGeneral.htm|title=Former Attorneys General|publisher=North Dakota Attorney General|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518075046/http://www.ag.state.nd.us/About/FormerAttorneysGeneral.htm|url-status=dead|archivedate=May 18, 2011}} As Attorney General, Stenehjem proposed legislation to curb methamphetamine use and addiction in the state, by restricting retail sales of certain products used in its manufacture, providing mandatory treatment for first-time drug offenders, and increasing criminal penalties for drug offenders. Stenehjem was reelected in 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 by wide margins. Before his death, he had announced he would not run for reelection in 2022. Stenehjem was hospitalized in Bismarck for an inflamed ulcer on January 28, 2022. He died later that day, at the age of 68.
He was married to Beth Bakke Stenehjem, and had one son, Andrew. He was the brother of North Dakota Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem (1952–2011) and former North Dakota House of Representatives member Allan Stenehjem (who is now a lobbyist).
Career
- North Dakota House of Representatives (1976–1980)
- North Dakota Senate (1980–2000)
- Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee (1995–2000)
- North Dakota Attorney General (2000–2022)
Controversies
In 2014, Agent Arnie Rummel, who worked under the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, under the supervision of the Attorney General's office, was charged in Dickey County District Court with two misdemeanors.{{Cite web|url=https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/crime-and-courts/3850864-north-dakota-bci-agent-faces-criminal-charges-payloader-dispute|title=North Dakota BCI agent faces criminal charges in payloader dispute|website=Grand Forks Herald|accessdate=March 9, 2021}} Business owner Darrell Schrum accused Rummel of violating his constitutional rights when the BCI damaged personal property and seized Schrum's payloader and transported it out of state.{{Cite web|url=https://www.inforum.com/news/4104170-owner-seized-payloader-files-suit-against-north-dakota-crime-bureau-agent|title=Owner of seized payloader files suit against North Dakota crime bureau agent|website=INFORUM|date=August 29, 2016|accessdate=March 9, 2021}} Rummel had secured a warrant to seize the equipment, suspected as stolen, and Stenehjem's office defended Rummel in the long-running dispute that ensued.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}
Stenehjem said, "All he did was return a payloader that was stolen to the rightful owner." But Schrum's attorney argued that the trucking company Rummel gave the loader to had no legal ownership and that the search warrant required Rummel only to deliver the loader to the court.{{Cite web|url=https://www.crookstontimes.com/article/20141118/News/141119648|title=State appeals order to pay ND man for pay loader|first=Dave|last=Kolpack|website=Crookston Times - Crookston, MN|accessdate=March 9, 2021}} Rummel was found in contempt of court and the case resulted in a cash settlement for Schrum, as the payloader was found to have been unlawfully seized.{{Cite web|url=https://www.inforum.com/west-fargo/|title=West Fargo news (West Fargo Pioneer)|website=INFORUM|accessdate=March 9, 2021}}
While Attorney General, Stenehjem purportedly mislead investigators and deleted phone calls/ voicemails he received from Ray Holmberg who was investigated for, and later convicted of, engaging in child sex tourism.{{Cite web |last=Beach |first=Amy Dalrymple, Jeff |date=2025-03-26 |title=Former ND Sen. Ray Holmberg sentenced to 10 years in prison for sex crime • North Dakota Monitor |url=https://northdakotamonitor.com/2025/03/26/former-nd-sen-ray-holmberg-sentenced-to-10-years-in-prison-for-sex-crime/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=North Dakota Monitor |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2025-03-28 |title=Wayne Stenehjem deleted voicemails, 'obstructed' child sex crime investigation into Ray Holmberg, AG says |url=https://www.inforum.com/news/north-dakota/wayne-stenehjem-deleted-voicemails-obstructed-child-sex-crime-investigation-into-ray-holmberg-ag-says |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=InForum |language=en}}
Electoral history
{{Election box begin no change | title=North Dakota Attorney General Election, 2000}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Wayne Stenehjem
|votes = 157,986
|percentage = 55.74
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party
|candidate = Glenn Pomeroy
|votes = 125,466
|percentage = 44.26
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 283,452
|percentage = 100.00
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title=North Dakota Attorney General Election, 2004}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Wayne Stenehjem (inc.)
|votes = 218,599
|percentage = 72.54
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party
|candidate = Bruce Schoenwald
|votes = 82,754
|percentage = 27.46
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 301,353
|percentage = 100.00
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title=North Dakota Attorney General Election, 2006}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Wayne Stenehjem (inc.)
|votes = 148,194
|percentage = 68.86
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party
|candidate = Bill Brudvik
|votes = 67,032
|percentage = 31.14
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 215,226
|percentage = 100.00
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title=North Dakota Attorney General Election, 2010}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Wayne Stenehjem (inc.)
|votes = 175,627
|percentage = 74.55
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party
|candidate = Jeanette Boechler
|votes = 59,781
|percentage = 25.38
}}
{{Election box write-in with party link no change
|votes = 174
|percentage = 0.07
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 235,582
|percentage = 100.00
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title=North Dakota Attorney General Election, 2014}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Wayne Stenehjem (inc.)
|votes = 181,678
|percentage = 74.06
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party
|candidate = Kiara Kraus-Parr
|votes = 63,255
|percentage = 25.78
}}
{{Election box write-in with party link no change
|votes = 395
|percentage = 0.16
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 245,328
|percentage = 100.00
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title=North Dakota Governor Republican Primary Election, 2016}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Doug Burgum
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 68,042
| percentage = 59.47
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Wayne Stenehjem
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 44,158
| percentage = 38.59
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Paul Sorum
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 2,164
| percentage = 1.89
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Write-in
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 51
| percentage = 0.04
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 114,415
| percentage = 100.00
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title=North Dakota Attorney General Election, 2018}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Wayne Stenehjem (inc.)
|votes = 215,633
|percentage = 67.55
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party
|candidate = David Thompson
|votes = 102,869
|percentage = 32.23
}}
{{Election box write-in with party link no change
|votes = 715
|percentage = 0.22
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 319,217
|percentage = 100.00
}}
{{Election box end}}{{Cite web|url=https://results.sos.nd.gov/ResultsSW.aspx?text=All&type=SW&map=CTY|title=North Dakota Secretary of State|website=results.sos.nd.gov|access-date=2019-03-27}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.stenehjemforgovernor.com/ Campaign site]
{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=Ward K. Johnson}}
{{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for North Dakota Attorney General|years=2000, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018}}
{{s-aft|after=Drew Wrigley}}
{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before=Heidi Heitkamp}}
{{s-ttl|title=Attorney General of North Dakota|years=2000–2022}}
{{s-aft|after=Troy Seibel
Acting}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stenehjem, Wayne}}
Category:20th-century members of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly
Category:American people of Norwegian descent
Category:Republican Party members of the North Dakota House of Representatives
Category:North Dakota attorneys general
Category:Republican Party North Dakota state senators
Category:People from Renville County, North Dakota