2002 United States House of Representatives election in North Dakota

← 2000 November 5, 2002 (2002-11-05) 2004 →

Candidate Earl Pomeroy Rick Clayburgh Party Democratic–NPL Republican Popular vote 121,073 109,957 Percentage 52.4% 47.6%

County results Pomeroy:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Clayburgh:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. Representative before election Earl Pomeroy Democratic–NPL Elected U.S. Representative Earl Pomeroy Democratic–NPL

Elections in North Dakota
Federal government Presidential 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 1996 2004 2008 2016 2020 Republican 2008 2012 2024 U.S. Senate 1889 1891 1893 1897 1899 1903 1905 1909 1911 1911 sp 1914 1916 1920 1922 1926 1926 sp 1928 1932 1934 1938 1940 1944 1946 1946 sp 1950 1952 1956 1958 1960 sp 1962 1964 1968 1970 1974 1976 1980 1982 1986 1988 1992 1992 sp 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 2018 2022 2024 U.S. House 1889 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1917 1st sp 1918 1920 1922 1924 2nd sp 1926 1928 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1963 1st sp 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State government State elections 2006 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Gubernatorial elections 1889 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1921 (recall) 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Secretary of State elections 2018 2022 Attorney General elections 2022 State Senate elections 2020 2022 2024 House of Representatives elections 2020 2022 2024
Ballot measures 2004 Constitutional Measure 1 2022 Constitutional Measure 1
Fargo City elections 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Mayoral elections 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2015 2018 2022
Bismarck City elections 2020 2022 2024 Mayoral elections 2022
v t e

The 2002 U.S. House of Representatives election for the state of North Dakota's at-large congressional district was held November 5, 2002. The incumbent, Democratic-NPL Congressman Earl Pomeroy was re-elected to his sixth term, defeating Republican candidate Rick Clayburgh.

Only Pomeroy filed as a Dem-NPLer, and the endorsed Republican candidate was Rick Clayburgh, who was serving as the North Dakota State Tax Commissioner. Pomeroy and Clayburgh won the primary elections for their respective parties.^[1]

The election was the closest for Pomeroy in all of his career as congressman until his defeat in 2010; he won by just over 11,000 votes. This was because Clayburgh ran an aggressive campaign, and was the most well-known candidate ever to face Pomeroy; he had held a statewide office for 8 years. United States Vice President Dick Cheney campaigned for Clayburgh in Fargo, North Dakota on July 29.^[2]

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Adams (largest city: Hettinger)
• Dunn (largest city: Killdeer)
• Hettinger (largest city: Mott)
• LaMoure (largest city: LaMoure)
• Morton (largest city: Mandan)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• McKenzie (largest city: Watford City)
• Pierce (largest city: Rugby)