North Dakota Senator Erin Oban won’t seek re-election; cites “unhealthy and unproductive” nature of politics

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - North Dakota Senator Erin Oban announced on Thursday she won’t run for re-election in the State Legislature in 2022. In her retirement announcement, published on Twitter, Oban said it was not “being a Democrat in a Republican city and state” that led her to retire, but rather the “unhealthy and unproductive” nature that political rhetoric has taken in recent years. This might not be the end of her career in public service, however. She concluded her statement by saying she’s got “plenty of life to live and service to give.”

Oban has served as a Senator representing Bismarck since 2014, and served as Assistant Minority Leader for the democratic party during the 2021 session. She has been on the education committee since she entered the Legislature. Most recently, Oban was a primary bill sponsor of bipartisan legislation to refine technical education scholarships for North Dakota students.

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