Republican incumbent, newcomer takes District 38

The race in District 38 was won by Republicans.

Christina Wolff and Dan Ruby defeated Lisa Hermosillo, the Democratic candidate, in the 2024 election in District 38.

Wolff is a newcomer to Republican Party politics and said her campaign was much more involved than she thought. She said she spends 15 to 20 hours each week knocking on campaign doors and getting to know people in the community. She said she is excited to have the opportunity to serve the people of District 38 and looks forward to making sure the state is responsible with its money.

Wolff became involved in politics in 2020 and currently serves as secretary of District 38. She also leads the North Central Republican Women. Wolff said she hadn’t thought about getting involved in politics until Dan Ruby invited her to lead.

Ruby, the other Republican candidate who took the lead in Tuesday night’s voting, with 45.13% of the total votes. Ruby was also the leading candidate in the June primary and decided last night’s candidates. Ruby chaired the House Transportation Committee and also served on several other committees within the House. He is also the CEO of two Minot-area companies.

As a member of the House of Representatives, Ruby has sponsored the passage of bills requiring clear language on automatic renewal of subscription services, bans on smoking in public places and the like. He has also sponsored several bills aimed at eliminating abortion on demand in North Dakota.

Ruby and Wolff were challenged by Lisa Hermosillo, the upstart Democrat vying for the seat.

Hermosillo said she was anxious and excited right before the election because of all the work she put into her race. She was happy to see the tables filled at her watch party at a local bar on Tuesday night. She said she appreciated all the support she received during the race.

David Hogue, the incumbent and only Senate candidate, is a veteran of the U.S. Army. He has served in the Senate since 2009 and is currently the Senate Majority Leader.

According to Hogue, the most significant legislation he was part of was the creation of the Legacy Fund, a source of state revenue passed by voters in the 2010 election. He was part of a team that “30% go big or go home,” which taxes one-third of the 5% tax on oil from wells. This secured bipartisan approval after the House and Senate passed different versions of the resolution. Hogue said he was proud of the fund’s current $11 billion principal.