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Twentieth Governor
Political Background:
Walter Welford served as township clerk at Pembina for twenty years. He also served in the State House and Senate. As lieutenant governor, Welford became governor after Thomas H. Moodie was disqualified. Welford was a staunch supporter of the Nonpartisan League (NPL), a farmers' political group. During Welford's administration the state was caught in the grip of the Great Depression. The 1936 crop yield was disastrously low because of drought. Welford met with President Franklin Roosevelt and obtained federal aid for drought-stricken farmers.
In 1936, Welford decided to run for office again. He beat former Governor William Langer for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, but Langer refused to drop out, and entered the general election as an independent. Welford lost the three-way governor's election to Langer. (The third-place candidate was Democrat John Moses, who became North Dakota's twenty-second governor, following Langer's second term.) Walter Welford became governor when Thomas H. Moodie was removed from office shortly after being elected. Welford served during a time of drought and depression.
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Bismarck, North Dakota 58505
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