Drew Wrigley


Drew Howard Wrigley is the United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota. He served as the 37th Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota from 2010 to 2016. He was appointed by Governor Jack Dalrymple on December 7, 2010. Wrigley had previously served as United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota, as deputy chief of staff to Governor John Hoeven, and as executive director of the North Dakota Republican Party.

Education and early career

A native of Bismarck, North Dakota, Wrigley grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, where he graduated from Fargo South High School. He is a fourth-generation North Dakotan, with roots in Burke County and Walsh County. Wrigley is an honors graduate of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in economics and a minor in philosophy. Wrigley was an active member of Phi Delta Theta during college. He completed his Juris Doctor at American University in Washington, D.C., where he was active in student government, mentoring programs, and he interned for U.S. Senator Bob Dole. After law school, Wrigley served as a judicial law clerk in Delaware, after which he became an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia, serving in that capacity for five years before returning to North Dakota.

U.S. Attorney

In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Wrigley to be the United States District Attorney for North Dakota. In this capacity, he was responsible for prosecuting all federal crimes committed in the state. His most famous case was the Dru Sjodin kidnapping and murder. Wrigley successfully prosecuted Alfonso Rodriguez, a repeat sex offender from Crookston, Minnesota, for the kidnap, rape, and murder of Sjodin. In addition to personally leading the trial team in the trial that lead to Rodriguez's death sentence, Wrigley successfully argued the case before the Eighth Circuit Court Of Appeals, which upheld Rodriguez's conviction and death sentence.
On August 16, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Wrigley to be the U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota. On August 27, 2018, his nomination was sent to the United States Senate. His nomination was not acted upon during the 115th United States Congress. He was renominated in February 2019. On February 28, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote. On April 11, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by voice vote by the full Senate. On April 17, 2019, he was sworn into office as the United States Attorney for a second time.

Lieutenant Governor

On November 4, 2010, then-Lt. Governor Dalrymple designated Wrigley as his successor once his transition of the governor's office was completed. Wrigley was sworn into office on December 7, 2010, following the swearing in of Governor Dalrymple.
Dalrymple and Wrigley were elected to full terms in November 2012.
Wrigley's responsibilities as lieutenant governor include presiding over the state senate, overseeing legislative relations, formulating the state budget, and agri-business development.
Wrigley considered running in North Dakota's 2016 gubernatorial election, but ultimately decided not to run.

Personal life

Wrigley lives in Bismarck with his wife, Kathleen, and their three children. In 2015, Wrigley acknowledged having had an extramarital affair.