The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed North Dakota U.S. District Court Judge Dan Traynor to serve on the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
In a 48-47 party line vote, Republicans voted in favor of confirming Traynor to replace 8th Circuit Judge Ralph Erickson. U.S. Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., did not cast votes.
President Donald Trump nominated Traynor to the position in May with his nomination hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee held in June. His nomination advanced to the full Senate in an 11-10 committee vote last week.
North Dakota Republican Sen. John Hoeven said the confirmation was a “well-earned” honor and looked forward to him continuing to serve in the judiciary.
Cramer said he’s known Traynor for 30 years and was honored to support him throughout the confirmation process.
“He’s earned this — through his intellect, through his hard work, and through his really good decisions,” Cramer said.
In 2025, Traynor ordered the federal government to pay North Dakota $28 million for damages he found the state incurred during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. He later agreed to void that judgment so the parties could reach a settlement, which resulted in the same amount of damages.
Traynor also ruled in favor of the Trump administration’s practice of indefinitely holding without bond most noncitizens who are detained inside the U.S. after entering the country unlawfully. The 8th Circuit in a 2-1 decision in late March came to the same conclusion. Erickson was the dissenting judge on that panel.
The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Arkansas.
Erickson, who has chambers in Fargo, announced in April his plans to retire from active service assume senior status.
Traynor was nominated by Trump to the district court judgeship in 2020.
A spokesperson for Cramer said both North Dakota senators are coordinating with the White House to nominate a conservative to fill Traynor’s vacancy on North Dakota’s U.S. District Court and get them confirmed as soon as possible.
North Dakota Monitor reporter Michael Achterling can be reached at machterling@northdakotamonitor.com.
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