The 2000 North Dakota gubernatorial election took place on 2 November 2000 for the post of Governor of North Dakota. IncumbentRepublican Governor Ed Schafer decided not to run for re-election. Republican nominee John Hoeven won the election. Heitkamp had led in the polls until early October, when reports indicated that she had breast cancer, and would undergo surgery. She ran advertisements to assure voters she was still fit to serve. But by the final month, Hoeven had taken a six-point lead in a poll. Coincidentally, both are serving simultaneously as the senior and junior U.S Senators, respectively, from the state of North Dakota as of 2016.[1]
