Republican Gov. John Hoeven, running for a second term, will face Democrat Joe Satrom, a former state senator and conservation official with Ducks Unlimited.

In 2004 Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan hopes to retain his seat, which he has held since 1992. Republican Duane Sand has announced he will begin raising money for a possible campaign against Dorgan. Sand, a former Navy submarine officer, previously ran against North Dakota's other Senate Democrat, Kent Conrad.

No North Dakota Republican has formally announced a race against Dorgan, and one potential candidate, former Gov. Ed Schafer, has resisted GOP pleas to run against the incumbent Democrat.

In the state's lone 2002 House race, Democrat Earl Pomeroy narrowly won a sixth term, defeating Republican Rick Clayburgh, the state tax commissioner. Calyburgh said of the election and Pomeroy: "I can look at myself in the mirror and I can sleep at night. We didn't distort, we didn't lie, we didn't play any of those games that get played."

Voters approved a multistate lottery, and rejected an income tax and student loan incentives intended to encourage North Dakotans under age 30 to remain in the state.

Paul Murphy defeated his wife, Marina Spahr, for the job of Foster County prosecutor. Murphy got 870 votes, Spahr 630. They agreed before the election that the loser would work as the winner's assistant.