State Sen. Josh Boschee launches campaign for Fargo mayor

State Sen. Josh Boschee, D-Fargo, announced Tuesday he is running to become the next mayor of Fargo.

If elected, the former House minority leader said he would resign from the state Legislature.

“It’s a city of 137,000 people and we have a lot of needs, and it needs to have my focus,” Boschee said in an interview. “And the residents of District 44 deserve to have a senator to dedicate their full time to the district.”

Boschee represented Fargo in the North Dakota House of Representatives from 2013 to 2024, serving three sessions as House minority leader. He was elected to the North Dakota Senate in 2024, succeeding Democratic-NPL lawmaker Merrill Piepkorn, who challenged Gov. Kelly Armstrong in the gubernatorial contest. 

Boschee said he thinks it’s time for a new generation of leadership for the state’s largest city, and he believes his relationships with other state lawmakers and the governor’s office will help him continue Fargo’s growth.

“With the seat being open, without an incumbent mayor, it provides an opportunity to really set a new direction for Fargo,” Boschee said.

There is no state law preventing a lawmaker from also serving as mayor or member of a commission, said John Bjornson, director of Legislative Council.

Boschee said serving as mayor of Fargo is a full-time job, and he would not want to disenfranchise residents of Fargo in trying to do both at the same time.

Boschee’s Senate term expires in 2028. If he’s elected mayor, the Democratic-NPL district 44 committee would appoint a new lawmaker to serve the remainder of the term, said Erika White, election director for the Secretary of State’s Office. 

Denise Kolpack, Fargo’s deputy mayor and member of the city commission, launched her mayoral campaign in a social media post Monday. Kolpack and Boschee are the only candidates who have formally announced their candidacy, but others are expected to join the race.

Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney has served as mayor since 2015 and is ineligible to run for reelection due to term limits.

North Dakota Monitor reporter Michael Achterling can be reached at machterling@northdakotamonitor.com.