Wayne Stenehjem, North Dakota’s longest-serving AG, dies

On this July 18, 2019, file picture, North Dakota Legal professional Basic Wayne Stenehjem speaks in Bismarck, N.D. Stenehjem has died at age 68, his workplace introduced Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, shortly after he was hospitalized for what his brother mentioned was an infected ulcer.

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BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Legal professional Basic Wayne Stenehjem, a former legislator and the state’s longest-serving lawyer normal, died at age 68, his workplace introduced Friday, simply hours after he was taken to a hospital.

Stenehjem died about 6:20 p.m. at a Bismarck hospital, his spokeswoman Liz Brocker mentioned. She mentioned she couldn't present further particulars, together with his reason for demise.

Stenehjem’s brother, Allan, instructed KFYR-TV that Stenehjem had been taken to a hospital Friday morning after a medical name to his residence.

Allan Stenehjem instructed KFYR that his brother had been coping with an ulcer that will have change into infected, however he later instructed the Bismarck Tribune that his brother had no recognized well being points which may have prompted his hospitalization, and that his brother’s situation was not associated to COVID-19.

Stenehjem spent 24 years within the Legislature earlier than being elected lawyer normal in 2000, then successful 5 extra instances. In that lengthy profession, he supported an overhaul of North Dakota’s court docket system, legal guidelines towards home violence, shopper safety measures and laws to maintain North Dakota’s authorities conferences and information open to the general public.

Gov. Doug Burgum mentioned his fellow Republican “embodied public service” each as a legislator and because the longest-serving lawyer normal within the state.

“Like so many North Dakotans who treasured his friendship and admired him for his greater than 4 a long time of remarkable service to our state, we're completely devastated“ by Stenehjem’s demise, Burgum mentioned in an announcement.

Stenehjem had introduced final month he wouldn't search one other time period. He mentioned he wished to spend extra time touring and together with his household. He echoed considerations from a number of different retiring politicians about a rise in vitriolic social media criticism of politicians.

Stenehjem instructed the Tribune on the time that preventing unlawful medicine was a prime problem of his tenure. Amongst his proudest accomplishments, he cited getting a $30 million settlement following a diesel spill in Mandan in 1985, establishing a 24/7 sobriety program for individuals convicted of subsequent DUIs, establishing the state crime lab and bettering the coaching of state crime bureau brokers.

Stenehjem ran for governor in 2016 and was his occasion’s alternative to switch Jack Dalrymple, who didn’t search a second time period. However Burgum, a rich former Microsoft govt, bucked occasion custom to problem him and received the first simply, then went on to win the overall election.

The intraparty battle between Burgum and Stenehjem featured a spirited and costly debate about which candidate was higher suited to revive a state economic system that was slumping attributable to depressed oil and crop costs.

Burgum tried to color Stenehjem as a part of an institution that had executed a poor job at managing cash and put the state’s future doubtful. Stenehjem argued that North Dakota was well-positioned to deal with the downturn in oil and farm costs and the state wanted an skilled hand on the helm.

Stenehjem was born in Mohall. He attended highschool in Bismarck and graduated from the College of North Dakota and acquired his legislation diploma from the UND Faculty of Legislation in 1977.

Survivors embody his spouse, Beth Bakke Stenehjem, and a son, Andrew. Funeral preparations had been pending at Bismarck Funeral Residence.