Jon Jensen not seeking re-election as Chief Justice, will remain on North Dakota Supreme Court

BISMARCK, N.D. (KMOT) – North Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice Jon Jensen will not seek re-election as chief justice but will remain on the court.

Jensen, whose term as chief justice wraps up in 2025, shared the news in a letter dated Wednesday.

In the letter, Jensen praised efforts over the past six years to alleviate staffing issues in the courts and increase compensation in the judicial system.

Then-Gov. Doug Burgum, R-N.D., appointed Jensen to the Supreme Court in 2017 to replace the retiring Chief Justice Gerald VandeWalle. He was chosen as Chief Justice in 2019 to fulfill VandeWalle’s remaining term, and again in 2020 to a full term.

Before that, he served as a district judge out of Grand Forks for four years.

Other justices on the court include Daniel Crothers, Lisa Fair McEv