North Dakota Governor-elect Kelly Armstrong confidently enrolled his two kids, Eli and Anna Armstong, into Bismarck High School. More specifically, he feels assured by its opportunities for education and extracurriculars.
He believes not only BHS, but each district throughout North Dakota offers something unique – whether that’s in athletics, science olympiad, math bowl or drone racing.
“Watching your kids go through the non-traditional academics, or after-school stuff is different in every community, and that’s kind of cool,” Armstrong said.
Junior Anna Armstrong is proud of being a Demon. Before 2020, the Armstrongs lived in Dickinson. Anna appreciates her time spent in both Dickinson and now Bismarck, but she admires BHS’s school spirit and welcoming culture.
“It’s probably one of the best high schools in the state,” Anna said, “I love BHS.”
Living in the eye of the public doesn’t come as a challenge to the Armstrongs. North Dakotans are respectful toward their privacy, and for the most part, do not pry into their lives outside of political circumstances.
“If I go to a soccer game or Eli’s baseball game, it happens once in a while, but people don’t walk up to me and want to talk about politics,” Armstong said. “They know I’m there to watch my kids play, watch the team play – so North Dakotans are pretty understanding.”
Although Kelly’s beliefs are promoted to the public, Anna does not feel pressure to act a certain way or believe certain things. Regardless of who Anna’s parents are, she prioritizes her own opinions and embraces her individuality.
“Don’t be afraid to have your own beliefs. Just because your parents believe something, doesn’t mean you have to copy their beliefs,” Anna said. “You can still love them and disagree on certain things.”
Surprisingly, Kelly will gain more free time to spend with his family while he is Governor, compared to when he was a defense attorney and U.S. congressman. He’s had various jobs before running for office including – volunteer fireman, youth baseball coach and working for his father’s oil and gas company. His time spent as a lawyer and U.S. congressman was demanding. Traveling was necessary which caused a decrease in the time he could put forth to his family.

“There’s a lot of really cool reasons why I want to come home and be governor, but one of the personal reasons I want to come home and be governor is so I’m not on airplanes every week,” Armstong said.
His intention to run for office formed from his frustration with a law passed by the legislature. He found something he didn’t like and decided to take action.
“I called a friend and said, ‘I guess I’m going to have to run for the state senate,” Armstrong said. “Instead of just griping about it and complaining about it, I ran for the state senate to do something.”
Kelly Armstrong grew up in Dickinson, where he graduated from Dickinson High School. Armstrong went on to continue his education at the University of North Dakota. He left high school as a pre-med student, graduated UND with a psychology major and started a career as a criminal defense attorney and public defender. He strongly believes changing career paths or majors

is completely normal, and the process of change is necessary.

“I started as a pre-med student and ended up as a lawyer,” Armstrong said. “In the world we live in now, the answer is, be good at the next thing – whatever the next thing is. Whatever choices you make, be good at that choice and it will open more opportunities up – if you decide to switch.”
Armstrong believes a degree is not something that defines a person. It can, but it doesn’t have to. What a person studies isn’t life or death. Armstrong changed his direction countless times and still ended up where he is now. A student can figure out their success by simply pursuing their interests.
“There are 1000 different ways to make a living out of what you enjoy,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong’s biggest goal is to have every kid, in every classroom, to have the option of staying or coming back to ND. When Armstrong graduated from DHS, he recognized not everyone had long-term opportunities here. He values creating as diverse a community as possible, so whatever degree someone has, they have the option to practice it in ND.
“I’d rather you didn’t come back because you chose not to – not because you couldn’t,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong’s biggest advice for the upcoming generation is to read a book—a real, nonfiction book. He advised kids to get away from their devices and spend 10 hours a week doing something unrelated to their plans or goals. Not just high school students, but everyone, should get out and get involved with the community. Whether someone applies for a part-time job or helps a charity case weekly, or monthly, it doesn’t matter – getting involved is huge. Participating in something that positively affects the community is a way to gain experience and broaden one’s perspective.
“Consume it all, that’s my thing,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong recognizes the struggles that teenagers face, struggles that no other generation has faced before. The small, knowledge-filled, technology boxes that most of the population walks around with are often used non-constructively. Teenagers live in a time when they can be bullied and harassed in the comfort of their own homes. For the first time in history, teenagers can commit atrocious acts by the small works of their thumbs. Experiencing increased social distrust while physically alone used to not be so normalized.
“Don’t worry about criticism from somebody you wouldn’t take advice from,” Armstrong said.
Today’s generation lacks privacy. Armstrong claims his generation, millennial’s, have failed to construct technology as a healthy and safe tool – and it is on the upcoming generation to fix or improve its purpose. The toxicity within the internet has distributed negative effects on every group of Americans, including its leaders.
Armstrong believes in the Constitution and law. He frowns upon those who are in politics for the wrong reasons. His time as a trial lawyer taught him the importance of believing in what one is advocating for. A politician who strives to be internet famous has the wrong motives and does not drive policy.
“They might have whatever, a million followers on X, but they have zero followers in the halls of Congress,” Armstrong said.
The important issues in North Dakota are important to Armstrong, as he is looking forward to pushing for improvements.
Not only did North Dakota vote for Kelly Armstrong, but they also voted for the five ballot measures.

Regarding public education, Armstrong is concerned the most with measures four and five. Measure four prohibits the state government from implementing property tax, and measure five legalizes the use, distribution and growth of marijuana.
Armstrong believes the removal of property tax will reduce local control over classroom necessities. When centralizing the funding, it will centralize the decision-making as well.
Marijuana use will increase amongst the younger demographic, regardless of the legal age limit. Armstrong is against the increased use of marijuana. The plant is arguably not physically addicting, but it is lifestyle-addicting. People utilize it as a crutch to avoid dealing with their issues.
“I spent 10 years representing people. Marijuana is lifestyle addicting,” Armstong said. “I have buddies from high school and college that have been smoking weed since high school and college, and their response to any conflict is to get stoned.”

One of the biggest issues he sees within the school system is racial taunting. Armstrong holds a special hatred for inappropriate and offensive terms or actions that are directed toward high school athletes during sports events.
“It is the absolute lowest common denominator, gutter trash, and it is 100% unacceptable,” Armstrong said.
On multiple occasions, North Dakota high school students have committed acts of racial taunting towards another person or group of people.
For example, in 2023, the BHS boys basketball team had a game in Jamestown against the Jamestown High School Blue Jays. The student section in the JHS gymnasium shouted offensive racial remarks and gestures at two of the BHS basketball players. These taunts resulted in a new ‘zero tolerance’ policy stating that anyone at a public sports event who makes a racist taunt or slur will be banned from the venue. And although the policy is considered a solution, the families of the victims believed there should have been further consequences.
“Once it’s too many times,” Armstrong said. “And, it doesn’t happen a lot. But if you’re the athlete who it’s happening to, you don’t care that it doesn’t happen a lot. Once is too many times.”
The policy did not prevent multiple other similar events that would follow. However, Armstrong sees a simpler, more effective solution. He believes instead of bureaucrats writing another rule, there should be real, self-correcting punishment. The first time the issue occurs, the next game should be played without fans or penalties.
For Armstrong, one time is too many times. If the fans are the issue, then the fans will not be permitted to be there –  let the kids play, but nobody gets to watch.
“I’m a keep it simple, stupid guy. Let the parents self-correct this problem. Let the student body self-correct this problem.” Armstrong said, “I’m a big fan of allowing people to figure out how to solve it on their own versus writing nine different rules that everybody can get behind and hire a lawyer on.

Not only is Armstrong a politician and law graduate, but he is also a father, employee, consumer and leader. Carrying himself with confidence, Armstrong claims to not be afraid of having the challenging or uncomfortable conversations, in fact, he encourages it. He intends to carry transparency into the office and do what is right for the greater good.
“I don’t change how I have conversations in private versus how I have conversations in public, and I think there’s too many politicians that do,” Armstrong said.
North Dakota plays a huge role in the U.S. regarding energy, trade and military services – all topics that are necessary for political conversations. The 2024 presidential and gubernatorial election arguably displayed more hatred and dismissal amongst both parties than ever experienced before. The recent normalized belittling of a different viewpoint and the normalized impatience towards a counter-argument are habits Armstrong does not partake in. It’s necessary to consume knowledge from both opinions and then draw a conclusion. But at the end of the day, politics are just politics.
“It’s okay to care about the future, it’s okay to care about the state, it’s okay to care about the country,” Armstrong said. “But, being massively angry about it constantly isn’t a way to solve the problem.”
Armstrong’s decision to play one of the biggest roles in North Dakota is motivated by his care for its residents. His time spent living in other states and countries hasn’t compared to his time spent here. His experience in three different towns within the state (Dickinson, Bismarck, Grand Forks) revealed hospitality and a supportive culture he now wants to represent.
“North Dakota’s like a really big, cantankerous family,” Armstrong said, “We don’t always get along, but it kind of seems like, for the most part, everybody’s swimming in the same direction.”