State Policy · ND
North Dakota Governor Names Conner Swanson as Health and Human Services Commissioner
Gov. Kelly Armstrong appointed Conner Swanson, a longtime senior adviser, as commissioner of North Dakota's Department of Health and Human Services, effective August 29, 2026. Swanson will oversee a $5.7 billion biennial budget, more than 2,000 employees, and agency operations including Medicaid administration and federal grant programs. He succeeds interim commissioner Pat Traynor, who served since June 2025. Swanson previously worked as a policy adviser and communications director for Armstrong in Congress and played a role in the Rural Health Transformation Program deploying federal grants for rural health infrastructure.
Why it mattersThe appointment signals continuity in North Dakota's Medicaid policy direction under Armstrong's administration, as Swanson has been directly involved in federal grant deployment and policy implementation affecting the state's $5.7 billion health and human services operations.