by April Baumgarten  |  Fargo Forum

FARGO — A newcomer to North Dakota elections has launched a legislative campaign alongside two Fargo-area lawmakers.

Shawn Kessel, business development director for Fargo construction company Roers, will seek his first term representing District 27 in the North Dakota House, according to a news release. He joins the Republican ticket with Sen. Kristin Roers and Rep. Greg Stemen, both of Fargo.

“District 27 deserves a representative who can get to work on day one,” Kessel said in a statement. “I’ve spent my career solving complex problems for North Dakota communities, and I’ll bring that same commonsense leadership to the Legislature.”

The Dickinson native will run for a seat held by Rep. TJ Brown. District 27 Republicans selected Brown in March to replace Rep. Josh Christy, a 43-year-old lawmaker who died unexpectedly on Feb. 18 in Bismarck during the 2025 legislative session.