Legality of Cannabis by U.S. Jurisdiction

"Senator Hoeven" redirects here. For the Iowa State Senate member, see Charles B. Hoeven.
John Hoeven
Official portrait, 2013
United States Senator
from North Dakota
Assumed office
January 3, 2011
Serving with Kevin Cramer
Preceded byByron Dorgan
Chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee
In office
January 3, 2017 – February 3, 2021
Preceded byJohn Barrasso
Succeeded byBrian Schatz
31st Governor of North Dakota
In office
December 15, 2000 – December 7, 2010
LieutenantJack Dalrymple
Preceded byEd Schafer
Succeeded byJack Dalrymple
12th President of the Bank of North Dakota
In office
1993–2000
Preceded byJoseph Lamb
Succeeded byEric Hardmeyer
Personal details
Born
John Henry Hoeven III

(1957-03-13) March 13, 1957 (age 67)
Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican (1998–present)
Other political
affiliations		Independent (before 1996)
Democratic (1996–1998)
SpouseMikey Laird
Children2
EducationDartmouth College (BA)
Northwestern University (MBA)
Signature
WebsiteSenate website
John Hoeven's voice
John Hoeven speaks on food price inflation with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
Recorded May 10, 2022

John Henry Hoeven III (/ˈhoʊvən/ HOH-vən; born March 13, 1957) is an American banker and politician serving as the senior U.S. senator from North Dakota, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Hoeven served as the 31st governor of North Dakota from 2000 to 2010.

In 2010, Hoeven was elected to the U.S. Senate, succeeding Senator Byron Dorgan, who chose not to seek reelection. Hoeven became North Dakota's senior senator in 2013 after Kent Conrad retired and was succeeded by Heidi Heitkamp, who was once Hoeven's opponent for the governor's office.

Before being elected governor, Hoeven was a banker who served in numerous executive roles at various banks, most notably as president of the nation's only state-owned bank, the Bank of North Dakota, from 1993 to 2000.[1] He is on the board of directors at First Western Bank & Trust and has an estimated net worth of $45 million, making him one of the wealthiest U.S. senators.[2][3][4] He is the dean of North Dakota's congressional delegation.

Early life and education[edit]

Hoeven was born in Bismarck, North Dakota, the son of Patricia "Trish" (née Chapman) and John Henry "Jack" Hoeven, Jr. His father owned a bank in Minot, North Dakota, where he worked as the president and chairman.[5] Hoeven's ancestry is Dutch, Swedish, and English.[6]

Hoeven studied at Dartmouth College, which his father also attended. Hoeven belonged to the Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity and graduated with honors with a B.A. in 1979. While there, he played on the men's golf team.[7]

After Dartmouth, Hoeven attended the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, graduating with an MBA in 1981.[8]

Banking career[edit]

From 1986 to 1993, Hoeven was executive vice president of First Western Bank & Trust, an institution his father bought in 1970.[9][10] At one time, he owned 39% of the bank’s parent company, Westbrand, Inc.[11] From 1993 to 2000, he was the president and CEO of the Bank of North Dakota, under governor Ed Schafer.

Governor of North Dakota[edit]

Elections[edit]

2000[edit]

Main article: 2000 North Dakota gubernatorial election

In 2000 Hoeven ran for governor of North Dakota as a Republican and won, defeating Democratic NPL nominee Heidi Heitkamp, 55% to 45%.

2004[edit]

Main article: 2004 North Dakota gubernatorial election

Hoeven was reelected over Democratic-NPL nominee Joe Satrom with 71% of the vote.

2008[edit]

Main article: 2008 North Dakota gubernatorial election

On November 13, 2007, Hoeven announced his candidacy for a third term and kicked off his campaign with stops in Fargo, Grand Forks, Bismarck and Minot.[12] He was reelected with 74% of the vote over Democratic-NPL nominee Tim Mathern. It was the first time in North Dakota history that a governor won three four-year terms in office, though the record for serving is still maintained by Bill Guy, who served 12 years.

Tenure[edit]

Hoeven's governorship included the expansion and diversification of the state's economy, which led to a 49.5% increase in the state's real gross domestic product.[13] Beginning in 2000, he directed the development of a multi-resource energy program for the state with incentives in each energy sector, making North Dakota one of the country's largest energy-producing and exporting states. The state gained nearly 40,000 new jobs during his tenure. Wages and personal incomes grew faster than the national average. For a few years, the state led the nation in export growth. In late 2006, the state's reserve rose past $600 million, and it is now over $700 million.[14]

In December 2009, Hoeven was the country's most popular governor. His approval rating stood at 87% with only 10% disapproving.[15] 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.

U.S. Senate[edit]

Elections[edit]

2010[edit]

Main article: 2010 United States Senate election in North Dakota

On January 11, 2010, Hoeven announced he would run in the 2010 North Dakota Senate election for the seat being vacated by Byron Dorgan.[16] Hoeven defeated Democratic-NPL nominee Tracy Potter, 76% to 22%, making him the first Republican to represent North Dakota in the Senate since 1987.[17]

2016[edit]

Main article: 2016 United States Senate election in North Dakota

Hoeven was reelected in 2016.

2022[edit]

Main article: 2022 United States Senate election in North Dakota

Hoeven was reelected in 2022.[18]

Tenure[edit]

Since 2013, Hoeven has been the dean of North Dakota's congressional delegation. As of 2018, he was listed as one of the seven wealthiest U.S. senators.[19]

For his tenure as the chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in the 116th Congress, Hoeven earned an F grade from the nonpartisan Lugar Center's Congressional Oversight Hearing Index.[20]

Committee assignments[edit]

Political positions[edit]

Hoeven was briefly a member of the Democratic-NPL Party before becoming active in the Republican Party as a district chair and volunteer.[21] He has walked a conservative line on some issues and a moderate one on others, including increasing education funding, ethics reform, compensation for teachers, as well as increased funding on infrastructure.[22] On August 10, 2021, Hoeven was one of 19 Senate Republicans to vote with the Democratic caucus in favor of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.[23]

Crime[edit]

Hoeven supports decreasing access to parole for violent offenders.[22] He believes that drug control policy should be a state issue, not a federal one.[24]

Economy and employment[edit]

Hoeven opposed the Employee Free Choice Act, which included a card check provision.[24]

Energy and environment[edit]

Hoeven believes that alternative fuels are a long-term solution but that increased oil drilling is required in the short term.[24] He has been a vocal advocate for the Keystone Pipeline, falsely asserting that it has never leaked and claiming that environmental risks have been exaggerated.[25][26] The Keystone Pipeline has in fact leaked twice, in 2010 and in 2016.[27]

In 2015, Hoeven submitted an amendment asserting that climate change is real and that humans are contributing to it but also that the Keystone Pipeline would not contribute to climate change.[28] His League of Conservation Voters score for 2018 was 7%.[29]

Gun policy[edit]

Hoeven consistently votes for pro-gun legislation and has earned an A+ rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF).[30] The NRA-PVF has endorsed him repeatedly, including during his campaigns for governor in 2008 and senator in 2010.[31][32]

In June 2016, Hoeven voted on four gun control proposals that were developed as a result of the Orlando nightclub shooting. He voted for Chuck Grassley's expansion of background checks and provision of funding to research the cause of mass shootings, and for John Cornyn's 72-hour wait period for purchases of guns by people on the terrorist watchlist. He voted against Chris Murphy's proposal to require background checks for every gun sale, including online sales and at gun shows, and against Dianne Feinstein's proposal to ban anyone on the terrorist watchlist from buying a gun.[33] Hoeven voted against the latter bill due to its lack of "judicial oversight or due process".[34]

Women's Issues[edit]

Hoeven identifies as pro-life, opposing abortion in all cases except for rape, incest, or threat to the mother's life. He opposes government funding for elective abortions and supports the Hyde Amendment, which permits federal funding for abortion services only under the above stated exceptions.[22] Hoeven voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act in 2012.[22]

Israel Anti-Boycott Act[edit]

In April 2017, Hoeven co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act (s. 720), which would bar federal contractors from participating in boycotts against Israel or Israeli settlements.[35][36]

Immigration[edit]

In 2013, Hoeven voted for the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013.[37]

LGBT rights[edit]

In 2013, Hoeven voted against banning discrimination based on sexual orientation.[38] He opposes same-sex marriage.[39] In 2022, he voted against federal protections for same-sex married couples.[40]

January 6th[edit]

On May 28, 2021, Hoeven voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the 2021 United States Capitol attack.[41]

Taxes[edit]

Hoeven supports investment tax credits for farm investments.[24]

Electoral history[edit]

2000 North Dakota gubernatorial election[42]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John Hoeven 159,255 55.03% -11.16%
Democratic–NPL Heidi Heitkamp 130,144 44.97% +11.16%
Write-ins 13 0.00%
Majority 29,111 10.06% -22.32%
Turnout 289,412
Republican hold Swing
2004 North Dakota gubernatorial election[43]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John Hoeven (Incumbent) 220,803 71.26% +16.23%
Democratic–NPL Joe Satrom 84,877 27.39% -17.58%
Libertarian Roland Riemers 4,193 1.35%
Majority 135,926 43.87% +33.81%
Turnout 309,873
Republican hold Swing
2008 North Dakota gubernatorial election[44]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John Hoeven (Incumbent) 235,009 74.44% +3.19%
Democratic–NPL Tim Mathern 74,279 23.53% -3.86%
Independent DuWayne Hendrickson 6,404 2.03%
Majority 160,730 50.91% +7.05%
Turnout 315,692
Republican hold Swing
2010 United States Senate election in North Dakota[45]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John Hoeven 181,689 76.08% +44.36%
Democratic–NPL Tracy Potter 52,955 22.17% -46.11%
Libertarian Keith Hanson 3,890 1.63% N/A
Majority 128,734 53.91%
Turnout 238,534 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic–NPL Swing
2016 North Dakota Senate Republican primary results[46]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Hoeven (Incumbent) 103,677 99.57%
Republican Write-in 445 0.43%
Total votes 104,122 100.00%
2016 United States Senate election in North Dakota[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John Hoeven (Incumbent) 268,788 78.48% +2.40%
Democratic–NPL Eliot Glassheim 58,116 16.97% -5.20%
Libertarian Robert Marquette 10,556 3.08% +1.45%
Independent James Germalic 4,675 1.36% N/A
n/a Write-ins 366 0.11% N/A
Total votes 342,501 100.0% N/A
Republican hold
2022 North Dakota Senate Republican primary results[48]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Hoeven (Incumbent) 59,529 77.8%
Republican Riley Kuntz 16,400 21.4%
Republican Write-in 557 0.7%
Total votes 76,486 100.00%
2022 United States Senate election in North Dakota
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John Hoeven (Incumbent) 135,478 56.41% -22.07%
Democratic–NPL Katrina Christiansen 59,997 24.98% +8.01%
Independent Rick Becker 44,412 18.49% N/A
Write-in 273 0.11% N/A
Total votes 240,160 100.00% N/A
Republican hold

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Biography | U.S. Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota". www.hoeven.senate.gov. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
  2. ^ "Our People". First Western Bank & Trust. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  3. ^ Cassell, Warren Jr. (2016-04-15). "Who Are America's Seven Richest Senators?". Investopedia. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  4. ^ "John Hoeven- Net Worth – Personal Finances". OpenSecrets. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  5. ^ Jill Schramm Minot (19 August 2017). "Jack Hoeven, father of U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, dies". Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  6. ^ "John Henry Hoeven III". RootsWeb. Ancestry.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  7. ^ "John Hoeven - Men's Golf". Dartmouth College Athletics. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  8. ^ "Alumni in D.C. - Northwestern University". www.northwestern.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  9. ^ "First Western". Minot Daily News. July 21, 2014. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  10. ^ "John H. Hoeven". Government of North Dakota. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  11. ^ Davis, Walker (August 20, 2021). "Sen. Hoeven championed a lending program. He owns a bank that benefits". CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  12. ^ http://hoevengovernor.com/allmedia.asp?mediaID=65&sz=63728 [dead link]
  13. ^ "Percent change in real GDP of North Dakota between 2001 and 2008". Wolfram Alpha. Wolfram Alpha LLC. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  14. ^ "Governor John Hoeven". Archived from the original on 2010-04-19.
  15. ^ Knepper, Alex (January 7, 2010). "Who Is John Hoeven?". Race 4 2008. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  16. ^ Cillizza, Chris (January 11, 2010). "Republicans get Hoeven in North Dakota". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  17. ^ Ogden, Eloise (November 3, 2010). "Hoeven is North Dakota's first Republican senator in 24 years". Minot Daily News. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  18. ^ MacPherson, James (November 9, 2022). "North Dakota's Hoeven wins third term in US Senate". AP News. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  19. ^ Cassell, Warren (January 30, 2018). "Who Are America's Seven Richest Senators?". investopedia. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  20. ^ "Congressional Oversight Hearing Index". Welcome to the Congressional Oversight Hearing Index. The Lugar Center.
  21. ^ Kleefeld, Eric (January 27, 2010). "Flashback: Republican Senate Candidate Hoeven Rejected GOP And Declared Himself A Democrat In 1996". Talking Points Memo. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  22. ^ a b c d Bendery, Jennifer (April 26, 2012). "Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Overwhelmingly Passes Senate". Huffington Post.
  23. ^ Farrington, Dana (2021-08-10). "Here Are The Republicans Who Voted For The Infrastructure Bill In The Senate". NPR. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  24. ^ a b c d "John Hoeven on the Issues". On The Issues. OnTheIssues.org & the SpeakOut Foundation. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  25. ^ Kupec, Rob (March 5, 2012). "Senator Hoeven working to revive Keystone Pipeline Project". WDAY. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012.
  26. ^ Hoeven, John (February 24, 2012). "Why we need the Keystone oil pipeline". CNN.
  27. ^ Neuhauser, Alan (April 8, 2016). "Keystone Leak Worse Than Thought". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  28. ^ Kollipara, Puneet (January 21, 2015). "Wrap-up: U.S. Senate agrees climate change is real—but not necessarily that humans are causing it". Science. American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  29. ^ "Check out Senator John Hoeven's Environmental Voting Record". League of Conservation Voters Scorecard. 2019-03-26. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
  30. ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  31. ^ "NRA-PVF Endorses North Dakota Governor John Hoeven Earns "A+" rating from NRA-PVF". NRA-PVF. October 15, 2008. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  32. ^ "NRA-PVF Endorses John Hoeven for U.S. Senate in North Dakota". NRA-PVF. October 13, 2010. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  33. ^ Abbott, Rick (20 June 2016). "How they voted: North Dakota, Minnesota senators on gun bill". Bismarck Tribune. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2017.(subscription required)
  34. ^ Rupard, Wade. "North Dakota, Minnesota senators take different stances on federal..." Grand Forks Herald. Archived from the original on June 14, 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  35. ^ "Cosponsors - S.720 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): Israel Anti-Boycott Act". www.congress.gov. 23 March 2017.
  36. ^ Levitz, Eric (2017-07-19). "43 Senators Want to Make It a Federal Crime to Boycott Israeli Settlements". Intelligencer.
  37. ^ Roll call vote 168, via Senate.gov
  38. ^ Liebelson, Dana. "Meet the 32 Senate Republicans who voted to continue LGBT discrimination in the workplace".
  39. ^ Smith, Nick. "N.D. delegation split on gay marriage". Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  40. ^ Mourtoupalas, Nick; Blanco, Adrian (November 29, 2022). "Here's which senators voted for or against the Respect for Marriage Act". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  41. ^ "Which senators supported a Jan. 6 Capitol riot commission". Washington Post. May 28, 2021.
  42. ^ "ND Secretary of State Election Management System – Statewide Election Results". web.apps.state.nd.us. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  43. ^ "Election Results Portal". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  44. ^ "ND Secretary of State Election Management System - Statewide Election Results". Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
  45. ^ "Official Results General Election". North Dakota Secretary of State. November 2, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  46. ^ "North Dakota Secretary of State". ND Secretary of State. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  47. ^ "North Dakota Official Results General Election – November 8, 2016". North Dakota Secretary of State. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  48. ^ "North Dakota Secretary of State". ND Secretary of State. Retrieved July 3, 2022.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

Civic offices
Preceded by
Joseph Lamb
 President of the Bank of North Dakota
1993–2000 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of North Dakota
2000, 2004, 2008 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from North Dakota
(Class 3)
2010, 2016, 2022 		Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of North Dakota
2000–2010 		Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 3) from North Dakota
2011–present
Served alongside: Kent Conrad, Heidi Heitkamp, Kevin Cramer 		Incumbent
Preceded by Chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee
2017–2021 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by Order of precedence of the United States
as United States Senator 		Succeeded by
Preceded by United States senators by seniority
37th 		Succeeded by
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hoeven