Attorney General of North Dakota · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in the North Dakota attorney general race?
Drew Wrigley has the strongest record in the North Dakota attorney general race. Drew Wrigley scores 69 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Drew Wrigley's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Tim Lamb (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic-NPL
Tim Lamb
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 7 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 69
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Drew Wrigley
69 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 75
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Tim Lamb
- Credit2026-04
Served 15 years on the elected Grand Forks School Board and more than 20 years in the U.S. Army, per the Grand Forks Herald.
Source: Grand Forks Herald, April 2026
Drew Wrigley
- On the record2025-12
Issued a legal opinion declaring a state Ethics Commission advisory opinion on campaign funds void, finding the commission lacked authority to issue it; the commission said it was reviewing next steps.
Source: North Dakota Monitor via News From The States, Dec. 2025
- On the record2023-01
Fired State Crime Lab director Robyn Quinn in January 2023, citing the kit backlog and other performance issues; Quinn called her dismissal a witch hunt.
Source: InForum, Sept. 17, 2023
- Credit2026-09-23
His office reached a compliance agreement with Fargo nonprofit F5 Project after finding its leaders took unauthorized loans and profited from a lease with the nonprofit.
Source: KFGO, Sept. 23, 2026
- Credit2023-09-17
The State Crime Lab cut its sexual assault kit backlog from 271 to 80, a level Wrigley called current, within about a year after he replaced the lab director.
Source: InForum, Sept. 17, 2023
- Credit2022-11-22
Disclosed that his predecessor's office email accounts had been deleted and brought cost overruns on an office building lease to legislators, and had an outside firm try to recover the emails.
Sources: AP via Valley News Live, Nov. 23, 2022, Prairie Public, Dec. 20, 2023
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Tim Lamb. No public record found.
Drew Wrigley. No public record found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Tim Lamb. No public record found.
Drew Wrigley. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Tim Lamb. Was scheduled to take audience questions at a July 2026 public candidate forum in Valley City and told the Grand Forks Herald he would hold town hall meetings across the state. No 2026 debate for this race was found.
Sources: KNOX News Radio, July 22, 2026, Grand Forks Herald, April 2026
Drew Wrigley. Gives press conferences and interviews on cases, including a 2026 Fargo investigation, and appeared at public campaign rallies. No 2026 general election debate or forum for this race was found.
Sources: Grand Forks Herald, June 10, 2026, North Dakota Monitor via News From The States, May 29, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Tim Lamb. Served more than 20 years in the Army and 15 years on the Grand Forks School Board. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Grand Forks Herald, April 2026
Drew Wrigley. Has held senior public posts since 2001, as U.S. attorney, lieutenant governor and attorney general. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Drew Wrigley, North Dakota Monitor via News From The States, Feb. 16, 2026
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Tim Lamb. Served more than 20 years in the U.S. Army and 15 years as an elected Grand Forks School Board member. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: Grand Forks Herald, April 2026
Drew Wrigley. Has taken the oath as U.S. attorney, lieutenant governor and attorney general. No recorded action to reject certified results and no misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: North Dakota Monitor via News From The States, Feb. 16, 2026
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Tim Lamb. Has practiced law for more than 15 years, served 15 years on the Grand Forks School Board and more than 20 years in the Army.
Source: Grand Forks Herald, April 2026
Drew Wrigley. Attorney general since his 2022 appointment and election that fall; U.S. attorney for North Dakota in 2001 to 2009 and 2019 to 2021; lieutenant governor 2010 to 2016.
Source: North Dakota Monitor via News From The States, Feb. 16, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Tim Lamb. Proposes monthly press conferences, a criminal justice task force of attorneys, judges and corrections staff, and more support for county prosecutors, all within the attorney general's role.
Sources: Grand Forks Herald, April 2026, Grand Forks Herald, June 10, 2026
Drew Wrigley. Ten years as U.S. attorney before becoming attorney general; campaigns on a specific truth-in-sentencing proposal requiring violent offenders to serve most of their sentences.
Sources: Grand Forks Herald, June 10, 2026, North Dakota Monitor via News From The States, Feb. 16, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Tim Lamb. Explains his positions in news interviews and public forums. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and no campaign website was found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Timothy Lamb, Grand Forks Herald, April 2026
Drew Wrigley. Explains cases and policy in press conferences and interviews. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and no campaign website was found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Drew Wrigley, Grand Forks Herald, June 10, 2026
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Tim Lamb. Born in Grand Forks, a Grand Forks Central graduate, and lives and practices law there; served 15 years on the city's school board.
Sources: Grand Forks Herald, April 2026, Ballotpedia, Timothy Lamb
Drew Wrigley. Born in Bismarck and a Fargo South High School and University of North Dakota graduate; has held statewide and federal posts in North Dakota since 2001.
Source: Ballotpedia, Drew Wrigley
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Tim Lamb. No public record found.
Drew Wrigley. Has led the attorney general's office, which includes the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the State Crime Lab, since 2022, and led the U.S. attorney's office for North Dakota for about 10 years.
Sources: Prairie Public, Dec. 20, 2023, InForum, Sept. 17, 2023, Grand Forks Herald, June 10, 2026
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Tim Lamb. No public record found.
Drew Wrigley. The State Crime Lab under his office cut its sexual assault kit backlog from 271 to 80 in about a year to September 2023. In 2026 his office reached a compliance agreement with F5 Project over insider loans.
Sources: InForum, Sept. 17, 2023, KFGO, Sept. 23, 2026
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Tim Lamb. No public record found.
Drew Wrigley. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Tim Lamb. No public record found.
Drew Wrigley. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Tim Lamb. No public record found.
Drew Wrigley. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Tim Lamb. No public record found.
Drew Wrigley. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the North Dakota attorney general race?
Drew Wrigley has the strongest record in the North Dakota attorney general race. Drew Wrigley scores 69 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Drew Wrigley's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Tim Lamb (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the North Dakota attorney general race in 2026?
Tim Lamb (Democratic-NPL), Drew Wrigley (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Tim Lamb a good candidate for Attorney General?
Tim Lamb has public evidence on 7 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Drew Wrigley a good candidate for Attorney General?
Drew Wrigley scores 69 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every North Dakota race scored, and the North Dakota 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.