North Dakota is a Republican stronghold, and the Democratic–Nonpartisan League (NPL) Party has not won a governor's race in the state since 1988.

In November 2022, voters in the state approved a constitutional amendment limiting governors to two four-year terms, but it only applies to individuals elected after January 1, 2023, so incumbent governor Doug Burgum was still eligible to run for re-election under a grandfather clause.

[1] On June 7, 2023, Burgum announced that he would instead run for the Republican nomination for president of the United States in 2024, a race he dropped out of on December 4, 2023.

[10] On January 31, Travis Hipsher, a security guard from Neche, announced he would seek the governorship for the Democratic-NPL.

[15] Later on March 22, it was reported that state senator Merrill Piepkorn had filed the paperwork to run, but did not announce any campaign.