Karen Karls
North Dakota State Representative, District 35 since 2006. Ran in 6 elections between 2006 and 2022, winning 6. Ran for re-election in 2026; the count goes on.
- In office
- 20 yrs
- Since 2006
- Bills became law
- 2
- 3 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 0.0%
- Chamber median 2.4%
- With party
- 74%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- −1.4
- Won 2022
- Elections
- 7
- 2006–2026
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:52 PM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Judiciary · vice chair
- Emergency Response Services
- Government and Veterans Affairs
- Health Care
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Became law May 2025
Became law Apr 2025
Vetoed Apr 2025
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Karls sits in the North Dakota House of Representatives
Karls is closer to the center than 69% of the chamber's Republicans.
Closest: Dick Anderson, Dave Monson, Todd Porter
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:56 PM ET
With Karls’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Republicans74%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills5%
Black tick: the average of Republicans in the North Dakota House of Representatives.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Karls’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Republicans.
| Date | Bill | Karls | Rep. majority | Dem. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 2025 | HB 1459: AN ACT to create and enact a new section to chapter 38-12 of the North Dakota Century… | Yes | Yes | Yes | Passed 63–26 |
| May 1, 2025 | HB 1298: AN ACT to amend and reenact sections 39-06.1-06, 39-09-02, 39-09-04, and 39-09-07.1, and… | No | No | Yes | Failed 46–45 |
| Apr 23, 2025 | SB 2018: AN ACT to provide an appropriation for defraying the expenses of the department of… | Yes | No | Yes | Passed 48–44 |
| Apr 21, 2025 | HB 1482: AN ACT to amend and reenact sections 15.1-07-03, 15.1-07-04, 21-03-04, 21-03-07,… | Yes | Yes | Yes | Passed 88–4 |
| Apr 21, 2025 | HB 1540: AN ACT to create and enact a new chapter to title 15.1 of the North Dakota Century Code,… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 49–43 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Karls was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin | Seat | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | North Dakota Legislative District 35 | Counting | — | — | — |
| 2022 | North Dakota House of Representatives, District 35 | Won | D+1.4 | R+21.0 | −22.4 |
| 2018 | North Dakota House of Representatives, District 35 | Won | D+0.5 | R+29.8 | −30.3 |
| 2014 | North Dakota House of Representatives, District 35 | Won | D+3.9 | — | — |
| 2014 | North Dakota House of Representatives, District 35 (primary) | Won | −4.0 | — | — |
| 2010 | North Dakota House of Representatives, District 35 | Won | D+3.0 | — | — |
| 2006 | North Dakota House of Representatives, District 35 | Won | D+4.1 | — | — |
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: civicAPI (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Campaign money, 2025–26
- Raised
- $17.2K
Source: North Dakota Secretary of State filings through Oct 1, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 7:46 AM ET
Campaign committees
Open committees can still raise and spend money.
| Karen Karls for House State | Active |
Source: North Dakota Secretary of State filings through Oct 1, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 7:46 AM ET
Seats Karls has held
- North Dakota House of Representatives, District 35 · since 2006
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Karls has run against
- Bob Martinson (R) · 2022 election, won
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: civicAPI (unofficial)
How we know Karls
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/a1829243-52bf-4ade-9ed8-6955241120c3
- Wikidata Q20706780
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:52 PM ET