BISMARCK — Two of three candidates in the June primary for North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction will move on to face off in the November election.
Levi Bachmeier is currently in the role, having been appointed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong in October 2025 to succeed longtime superintendent Kirsten Baesler after she accepted a role in the U.S. Education Department. Before his appointment, Bachmeier was the West Fargo Public Schools business manager.
In final but unofficial results, Bachmeier won nearly 56% of the vote, while Tracy Layne Foss earned nearly 30% of the vote, with all 358 precincts reporting.
The third candidate, Charles Tuttle, ended up with just over 14% of the vote, according to the Secretary of State's Website.
While the state superintendent’s office is nonpartisan, political parties do back candidates.
Foss has the backing of the Democratic-NPL Party. The Republican Party did not issue a letter of support to a candidate. Bachmeier and Tuttle are Republicans.
Bachmeier will serve as superintendent through November, when voters determine who will complete the four-year term that runs through 2028.
Contacted Tuesday night, Bachmeier said he was pleased with the results.
"I'm a deep believer that North Dakota can lead the nation with America's best schools, and I'm glad that so many voters agree. This being a nonpartisan race, it's really only half time at this point, but I'm just deeply grateful for the support that I've received so far, and I'm excited to keep working hard to support our students," Bachmeier told The Forum.
