Merrill Piepkorn (born June 9, 1949)[1] is an American entertainer and politician who has served in the North Dakota Senate from the 44th district from 2016 to 2024.

In 2024, Piepkorn won the Democratic nomination for governor of North Dakota, and lost to Republican nominee Kelly Armstrong in the general election.

[3][4] Piepkorn worked for Prairie Public Radio, hosting "Morning Edition" while he was a graduate student at North Dakota State University.

[5] Piepkorn became the public address announcer for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, a Minor League Baseball team, for the 1997 season.

[3][7] He created, hosted, and served as executive producer of "Dakota Air" on Prairie Public Radio, which debuted in 2010.