Wayne Stenehjem

Wayne Stenehjem
29th North Dakota Attorney General
Incumbent
Assumed office 2000
Preceded by	Heidi Heitkamp
Personal details
Born	(1953-02-05) February 5, 1953 Mohall, North Dakota
Political party	Republican

Wayne Stenehjem (/ˈstɛndʒəm/ STEN-jəm; born February 5, 1953) is a lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of North Dakota. He is the current Attorney General of the state, serving since 2000.

Biography

Wayne Stenehjem was born in Mohall, North Dakota, and he graduated from Bismarck High School in 1971 and Bismarck State College in 1972. He attended the University of North Dakota and the UND School of Law, graduating in 1977. Stenehjem was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1976, and served two terms there until 1980 when he was elected to the North Dakota Senate. He served in that capacity until 2000 when he became Attorney General of North Dakota. While serving as the Attorney General of North Dakota, Stenehjem proposed legislation to curb methamphetamine use and addiction in the state, by restricting retail sales of certain products used in its manufacture, to provide mandatory treatment for first time drug offenders, and increase criminal penalties for drug offenders. Stenehjem was re-elected in 2004 and 2006, with wide margins - averaging 70% of the vote.

He is married to Beth Bakke Stenehjem, and has one son, Andrew. He is also the brother of North Dakota Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem, who died in 2011.

Career

• North Dakota House of Representatives (1976—1979)
• North Dakota Senate (1980—2000)
  • Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee (1995—2000)
• North Dakota Attorney General (2001—present)

References

Legal offices
Preceded by Heidi Heitkamp	Attorney General of North Dakota 2000–present	Incumbent