North Dakota Chamber Of Commerce VP Considering Run For Insurance Commissioner

Incumbent insurance commissioner Adam Hamm, who has been in office since he was appointed in 2007, has announced that he’s not running for reelection making it one of four statewide office races without an incumbent this cycle (Governor, Auditor, and Supreme Court Justice are the others).

Republicans have candidates for Governor and Auditor so far, but not Insurance Commissioner (the Supreme Court seat is non-partisan).

Republican state Senator Jon Casper had previously said that he was interested in running for the office, but announced earlier this week that he’d rather finish out his term in the Legislature.

Now I can report that Jon Godfread, who is current the Vice President for Governor Affairs at the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce, is considering a run.

Godfread currently lives in Bismarck. He attended the University of Northern Iowa and the University of North Dakota.

He has worked that the Chamber of Commerce since 2011.

Godfread is expected to make a final decision about a run later this month.

In unrelated election news, Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak is expected to announce her re-election campaign tomorrow. Her term actually ends this year, but she was on the ballot last year because she was appointed by Governor Jack Dalrymple to an unexpired term. State law requires that such appointments be confirmed in the next general election, meaning Fedorchak has to run in two cycles in a row.