Boschee wins Fargo mayoral race in quiet North Dakota primary

Fargo’s mayoral race supplied the only real competition on a North Dakota primary night that otherwise moved quietly. The Associated Press called Josh Boschee the winner at 8:53 p.m. on June 9, with 99% of votes counted, as statewide ballots showed little of the drama that usually drives election-night attention.

Boschee finished with 10,092 votes, or 46.7%, ahead of Michelle Turnberg’s 27.7%, Denise Kolpack’s 15.2%, David Piepkorn’s 8.2% and Sekou Sirleaf’s 2.2%. In the same AP election package, Hammer was listed uncontested in House District 1, Braunberger uncontested for secretary of state and Lamb uncontested for attorney general, underscoring how much of the night’s energy was concentrated in Fargo rather than across the state.

That contrast matters in a state where one city can reveal more about civic sentiment than a top-of-ticket ballot. Fargo is North Dakota’s largest city, and Boschee’s win showed that local questions about growth, services and management can still mobilize voters even when statewide contests are largely settled before the first returns are tallied. The AP also placed North Dakota in the same June 9 primary set as Maine, Nevada and South Carolina, making Fargo part of a broader early summer test of turnout and nomination strength.

Boschee was Fargo’s first openly gay mayor-elect, and he campaigned as a familiar face in neighborhoods across the city. He said he was encouraged by turnout from new and younger voters after spending five months talking with residents neighborhood by neighborhood. The seat had been open after longtime incumbent Tim Mahoney decided not to seek another term. Mahoney had first entered the office by appointment in 2014 after Dennis Walaker died, then won election in 2015, 2018 and 2022. Fargo also limits elected officials to three consecutive terms.

The race will not be formally complete until the Cass County Canvassing Board finalizes the unofficial results on June 22. Boschee is scheduled to be sworn in and lead the first City Commission meeting on July 6. The mayor’s job became a full-time position last year, carries a $100,000 annual salary and lasts four years.

The ballot also pointed to the issues that moved voters most. Turnberg conceded late Tuesday and pressed the city to stay focused on fiscal responsibility and public safety. Fargo voters also approved extending the city’s 1% infrastructure sales tax for 20 years by more than 70%, keeping revenue in place for flood control, road repairs and water treatment upgrades. Chad Peterson and Nikkie Gullickson also won the two open city commission seats, giving the city a new governing lineup as Fargo turns from campaigning to governing.