Kevin Cramer

Kevin John Cramer (born January 21, 1961) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator for North Dakota since 2019.

He received a B.A. degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, in 1983.

After college, Cramer campaigned for the Republican-endorsed tax commissioner candidate Scott Hove in 1984.

In 1986, he campaigned for U.S. Senator Mark Andrews in his bid for reelection.

Andrews narrowly lost to North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party U.S. Senator Kent Conrad.

Cramer went to work for the state Republican Party.

Cramer chaired the North Dakota Republican Party from 1991 to 1993 and served as state Tourism Director from 1993 to 1997 and state Economic Development Director from 1997 to 2000.

Cramer served as chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party from 1991 to 1993.

At age 30, he was the youngest person to be named state party chairman.

In May 1993, Republican Governor Ed Schafer appointed Cramer state Tourism Director.

Cramer was preceded by Jim Fuglie and succeeded by Bob Martinson.

In 1996, House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas—a North Dakota native—persuaded Cramer to challenge Democratic U.S. Congressman Earl Pomeroy for North Dakota's at-large congressional seat.

Pomeroy defeated him, 55%–43%.

He served in the position until he was appointed Economic Development Director in June 1997.

In 1998, Cramer challenged Pomeroy again.

Pomeroy won, 56%–41%.

Cramer was preceded by Chuck Stroup and succeeded by Lee Peterson in December 2000 as the director.

Following his stint as director of economic development, Cramer became director of the Harold Schafer Leadership Foundation in 2000.

He served on the state Public Service Commission from 2003 to 2012.

Cramer was born in Rolette, North Dakota, the first of five children of Clarice (Hjelden) and Richard Cramer.

He was raised in Kindred, North Dakota, in Cass County, and graduated from Kindred High School.

He earned a master's degree in management from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, in 2003.

He served in the position until 2003.

In 2003, Governor John Hoeven appointed Cramer to the Public Service Commission.

He was elected to a six-year term on the Public Service Commission in 2004, defeating NPL nominee Ron Gumeringer, 65–35%.

In 2010, Cramer was reelected to a second term on the Public Service Commission, defeating Democratic nominee Brad Crabtree 61–35%.

On January 14, Cramer announced that he would run for North Dakota's seat in the United States House of Representatives for a third time in the 2010 election.

In early 2010, he appeared at North Dakota town hall meetings, where he opposed the Affordable Care Act.

Cramer attended numerous Tea Party rallies in North Dakota, speaking about energy, taxes, jobs and the U.S. Constitution.

At the state Republican Party convention in March 2010, former House Majority Leader Rick Berg won the Republican congressional nomination; Berg was elected to Congress in November.

He served on the commission until 2012.

In 2012, Berg retired in order to run for the U.S. Senate.

Cramer decided to run for the seat a fourth time.

Various national conservative groups, include FreedomWorks and the Club for Growth, endorsed Cramer, while Berg endorsed Cramer's rival, fellow Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk.

In the Republican primary election in June 2012, Cramer received 54,405 votes (54%) to Kalk's 45,415 (45%).

In the November 2012 general election Cramer defeated Democratic-NPL State Representative Pam Gulleson, with 173,585 votes (55%) to Gulleson's 131,870 (42%).

Libertarian Party candidate Eric Olson received about 3% of the vote.

A member of the Republican Party, he represented North Dakota's at-large congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2013 to 2019.

He was sworn in on January 3, 2013.

In 2014 Cramer ran for reelection and was unopposed in the Republican primary.