David Andahl

State legislature candidate, farmer Age: 55

A few weeks after David Andahl, 55, died of COVID-19 in October 2020, he was elected to the North Dakota state legislature.

Andahl, who had been running for the District 8 spot, fell ill with COVID-19 after he had been “very careful,” his mother, Pat Andahl, told the Bismarck Tribune. He was sick for four days and was hospitalized. “He had a lot of feelings for his county and wanting to make things better, and his heart was in farming,” his mother said.

Known as “Dakota Dave,” Andahl was passionate about cattle ranching and race car driving, according to The New York Times.

He loved his dogs – Bear, Zeus and Hank – and was known to drink Glenlivet single malt.

After Andahl died, it was too late to withdraw his name from the Republican Party ballot, and early voting had already begun, according to the Fargo Forum. He received 35.53% of the total vote for one of two seats for the legislature, according to unofficial results.