Kirsten Baesler

Kirsten Baesler finished on top in the North Dakota’s superintendent of Public Instruction contest after capturing 55.09% of the vote based on unofficial results on the Secretary of State’s website.

More than 55,000 North Dakotans notched Baesler on their ballots, putting her well ahead of her competitors, with Jason Heitkamp getting the second most with 22,145 votes. James Paul Bartlett received 19,646 votes while Darko Draganic received 3,074.

“First and foremost, I want to thank my family, friends and supporters who gave their time, donated to my campaign, put signs in their yards and wrote letters of support. Without you our success today would not have been possible. I am committed to working hard with you all again as we secure another victory in November. Our students, families and teachers deserve nothing less,” Baesler said in a statement.

Baesler and Heitkamp will be on the November ballot.