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BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) today announced President Donald J. Trump nominated Daniel M. Traynor to be U.S. District Judge for North Dakota.
“I am grateful President Trump nominated Dan, whom I have known for over 30 years. I urged the President to choose him because he is a person of tremendous character, committed to the rule of law and our Constitution,” said Senator Cramer. “Like his father, Dan has spent his professional life as an attorney, always going above and beyond for his clients and giving extra to his community in noble endeavors. I look forward to helping shepherd his nomination through the United States Senate.”
“I am honored to be nominated to this position of public service by President Trump, and I thank my friends- Senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven- for encouraging me to seek it,” said Traynor. “They are acting quickly to fill this judgeship because they understand the urgent need for a fully-functioning federal court system in North Dakota, which is still dealing with the impacts of the oil boom and pipeline protests.”
Background:
Daniel Traynor is being nominated to fill the role of Judge Daniel Hovland, who announced in December 2018 he would enter into semi-retirement, known as “senior status.” Hovland, based in Bismarck, has served North Dakota in this role since 2002. North Dakota’s other District Judge, Peter Welte, filled the seat vacated by Judge Ralph Erickson in 2017 when the Senate confirmed his nomination in July of 2019.
Traynor’s Bio:
Daniel Mack Traynor is a shareholder at the Traynor Law Firm in Devils Lake where he is engaged in an active general litigation practice, with particular interest in insurance defense, personal injury, business litigation and Indian law. He represents the North Dakota Bar Association in the ABA House of Delegates and serves as a member of the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education and an elected member of the American Law Institute. He is also a former Chair of the Disciplinary Board of the North Dakota Supreme Court. Mr. Traynor earned his undergraduate B.A. from the University of North Dakota and his J.D., With Distinction, from the University of North Dakota School of Law, where he served as an Associate Editor on the North Dakota Law Review. Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Traynor served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Gerald W. VandeWalle of the North Dakota Supreme Court. Dan is married to Patricia A. Traynor, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force. They have three children: Mary, Mack, and Joe.
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