About

 Julie Fedorchak is a fourth generation North Dakotan with deep roots in our state. The youngest of eight kids, Julie was born in Williston, grew up in Fargo, graduated from high school in Bismarck and earned her bachelor’s degree from UND. She spent many summers growing up on their family farm near Belden, N.D.

Her parents, Duane and Dorie Liffrig, were children of the Great Depression. They were hard working, independent, faithful, resourceful and expected their children to be the same. They were lifelong Republicans who didn’t just preach conservative values, they lived them. And Duane encouraged Julie to get involved in government and politics. “It matters, and it will affect your life,” he said.

This is the source of Julie’s commitment to public service. In the 1990s, Gov. Ed Schafer recruited her back home to be his communication’s director. Schafer focused on improving North Dakota’s business climate, and generating funding for essential government services through economic growth, not new taxes. His approach set in motion the Republican conversion of our state.

Julie left state government after the Schafer Administration and started her own communications and marketing business which she operated for 10 years. During that time, she edited several statewide magazines, wrote and published three books with her mom, wrote a bi-weekly column for the Bismarck Tribune and served a variety of business, government and political clients.

She was called back to public service as the state director for U.S. Senator John Hoeven for two years. In 2013, Gov. Jack Dalrymple tapped Julie for the position on the North Dakota Public Service Commission vacated by Kevin Cramer.

In her role on the PSC, Julie has advocated for reliable and affordable energy for North Dakotans. In fact, North Dakota has some of the lowest utility rates in the country. She has permitted over $10 billion of energy projects during a time of a rapid growth in the energy industry.

Julie and her husband Mike will celebrate 25 years of marriage this summer. Mike is Navy vet who served active duty on an oiler during the Kuwait War. He and Julie met at UND, where they both graduated from.

Mike and Julie have three children and live in Mandan. They have been members of Cathedral of the Holy Spirit church for 30 years. They volunteer in a number of community organizations including the University of Mary, where Julie is a member of the Board of Trustees.

In their free time, the Fedorchaks love hosting dinner and game nights for friends and family, golfing, hunting, traveling, watching sports and competing in just about anything.