North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler, left, and Nicholas Chase, U.S. attorney for the District of North Dakota. (Submitted photos)
By: Michael Achterling
BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota is about to lose its superintendent but gain a U.S. attorney after the U.S. Senate confirmed dozens of federal nominations Tuesday.
North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler was confirmed as the next assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education at the Department of Education. The Senate voted 51-47 to confirm more than 100 nominees.
Baesler was nominated to the position in February and was advanced out of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to the Senate floor in May.
Nicholas Chase was also confirmed as part of the U.S. Senate’s approval vote on Tuesday and will serve as the U.S. attorney for North Dakota. Chase served as a judge in North Dakota’s East Central Judicial District with chambers in Fargo after being appointed to the position by then-Gov. Doug Burgum in 2022.
He was nominated for the position in May and was advanced to the Senate floor out of the Judiciary Committee in September.
North Dakota Republican Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer supported the nominations.
Hoeven called Baesler’s confirmation “long overdue.”
“She will be a great partner as we work to both improve outcomes for students and return decision-making to the state and local levels,” Hoeven said in a statement.
Cramer joined Hoeven in commending Chase’s experience and background.
“Over his career, he has tried cases ranging from trafficking and child exploitation to fraud and money laundering, and will bring strong expertise to the role,” the senators said in a joint statement.
In a social media post after his nomination, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley wrote that Chase was a “dedicated public servant with deeply held constitutional and patriotic principles.”
Chase had previously served for 20 years in North Dakota’s U.S. Attorney’s Office and rose to the rank of first assistant U.S. attorney and acting U.S. attorney. Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl had been serving as acting U.S. attorney for North Dakota.
Terry Van Horn, spokesperson for the North Dakota U.S. Attorney’s Office, said he didn’t believe the government shutdown would affect a swearing-in ceremony for Chase.
In a statement last week, Baesler said she anticipated the federal government shutdown would delay the Department of Education’s ability to administer her oath of office.
Baesler’s new position comes during a time when Trump’s administration is trying to eliminate the Department of Education and send its programs to other federal agencies or back to the states to administer.
In May, the department announced it reduced the number of staff members at the department nearly in half before a federal judge temporarily blocked its reduction in force plan. The Supreme Court allowed the department’s downsizing efforts to continue in a 6-3 decision in July.
It will be up to Gov. Kelly Armstrong to appoint a new superintendent once Baesler officially resigns. An election for the office will be held in 2026.
“It’s a major win for North Dakota and the entire country when we send common-sense leaders like Superintendent Baesler to Washington – leaders who understand that students and families are best served when we empower decision-making at the local level with guidance from the state and limited involvement from the federal government,” Armstrong said in a statement Tuesday.
Baesler was reelected to her fourth, four-year term in 2024 and has served as the state’s superintendent since 2013.
During last month’s ceremony for North Dakota Teacher of the Year, Baesler said she was ready to get started at the department.
“I’m excited about going out there and doing the work for all of our nation’s children,” Baesler said.
Baesler said her actions on education in the state have been rooted in what is best for all children in North Dakota “regardless of their zip code.”
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