JOHN HOEVEN

'John Henry Hoeven III' (born March 13, 1957), is a North Dakota banker and Republican politician who is most well known for his current tenure as the Governor of North Dakota. He has been serving as Governor since December 15, 2000, making him the longest current serving Governor in the United States. Prior to his election to the Governor's office, Hoeven served as the President of the nation's only state-owned bank, the Bank of North Dakota, from 1993 to 2000. Hoeven's long tenure in the Governor's office has led many to believe that he is a potential candidate for the United States House of Representatives in 2008; he has said that he will make an announcement pertaining to his plans for that year in the fall of 2007.

Contents

Biography

2006 Senate election

2008 election plans

Notes

External links

Biography

John Hoeven was born in Bismarck, North Dakota, and attended college at Dartmouth College. He then received an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and was a banker in Minot, North Dakota prior to pursuing a political career. From 1993 to 2000, he was the president and CEO of the state-owned Bank of North Dakota. He sought the office of the Governor of North Dakota as a Republican in 2000, and he was elected, defeating Democrat Heidi Heitkamp by a margin of 55 to 45 percent. In his years as governor, Hoeven has been praised for moderate governance, raising teacher salaries, and expanding the economy in the state with historic increases in per capita income. Hoeven's governorship has also included a number of high-profile lawsuits brought against the state on everything from water management to hunting licenses to prison abuse. In 2004, when up for re-election, Hoeven faced Democratic challenger Joe Satrom. Given the governor's high approval rating, Hoeven won easily, by a vote of 71 to 28 percent, gaining a second four-year term. In late 2006, the state's budget surplus rose past $600 million dollars, which increased his approval rating further. As of November 2006, Hoeven is the most popular governor in the nation. His approval rating stands at 86 percent with only 10 percent disapproving. In 2007, Hoeven proposed a 24% increase in spending, effectively halving the state's $600 million surplus.
In January 2007, Hoeven became the nation's most senior governor, having been inaugurated on December 15, 2000, as established by the North Dakota Constitution. The nation's second longest serving governor is Rick Perry of Texas, who took office on December 21, 2000, when George W. Bush resigned the governorship in preparation to become president.^[1]

2006 Senate election

U.S. Senator Kent Conrad was up for re-election in 2006. Republicans (including President George W. Bush and Karl Rove) actively recruited Governor Hoeven to face Conrad. Hoeven was widely believed to be the only Republican who could pose a challenge to Conrad. SurveyUSA polls showed that Conrad was the most popular Senator in the country, and Hoeven was the most popular governor. A poll conducted by PMR (8/26-9/3 MoE 3.9) for the Fargo Forum newspaper had as result for a hypothetical matchup: Hoeven-35%, Conrad-27%, Uncommitted-38%.
This poll showed voter conflict between two very popular politicians in a small state where party loyalty is often trumped by personality. On September 30, 2005, Hoeven officially declined a challenge to Conrad, stating, "A day may come when we ask the people of North Dakota to allow us to serve them in a different capacity, but that time is not now."^[2]. Hoeven went on to endorse the candidate who did decide to run on the Republican ticket, Dwight Grotberg. Nonetheless, Hoeven's decision not to run against Conrad effectively handed the incumbent a fourth full term.

2008 election plans

Governor Hoeven announced in November 2006 that he is considering a bid for a third term in 2008. He has said that he will make his decision in September of 2007.^[3] If Hoeven decides not to run, he is once again considered a possible candidate against one of the state's Democratic congressmen; Earl Pomeroy in 2008 or Byron Dorgan in 2010. Wayne Stenehjem, Attorney General of North Dakota, is considered Hoeven's likely replacement.

Notes

1. [1]
2. http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8CUPRMG1
3. [2]

External links

★ North Dakota Office of the Governor John Hoeven 'official state site'

★ National Governors Association - North Dakota Governor John Hoeven biography

★ Follow the Money - John Hoeven & Jack Dalrymple 2004 campaign contributions

★ On the Issues - John Hoeven issue positions and quotes

★ Project Vote Smart - Governor John H. Hoeven (ND) profile