BISMARCK – Former North Dakota agriculture commissioner Sarah Vogel said Tuesday she is in the early stages of exploring a run for governor next year, becoming the first Democrat to publicly acknowledge a possible gubernatorial bid.
“I am in the thinking about it stage,” Vogel said in a phone interview with Forum News Service.
Vogel served two terms as state agriculture commissioner from 1989 to 1997. She opted not to seek a third term and instead ran for state Supreme Court in 1996, losing to Mary Maring. Prior to that, she spent about five years in private practice and two years as an assistant attorney general.
She has worked in private practice since leaving state government.
“I have been asked to run for one office or another every election cycle for the last 20 years. And I always say ‘no, no.’ But this time I’m saying I’ll look at it. Because I think there’s a need for different leadership. There are a lot of issues,” she said.
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The 69-year-old Vogel said she has no timetable for announcing whether she will run. The Democratic-NPL Party will hold its nominating convention March 31-April 2 in Bismarck.
