American politician (born 1980)
Ben Koppelman (born January 2, 1980) is an American politician and building contractor who has served in the North Dakota House of Representatives from the 16th district since 2012.
Career.
Koppelman graduated from West Fargo High School and attended North Dakota State University before moving on to business and contracting, later becoming president of Vision Construction LLC.
In 2008, Koppelman became a member of the West Fargo School Board and in 2011 moved up as President of the board. He would leave the board in 2012 to run for the North Dakota House of Representatives.
North Dakota House of Representatives.
Koppelman ran in 2012 for the state house as a republican, unopposed in the primary. He would later win the election and became a member of the legislature alongside his father and Speaker of the House, Kim Koppelman. Koppelman would hold seat his subsequently in 2016, 2020, and 2024.
Koppelman served as a delegate for North Dakota in the 2016 United States Presidential election. According to an NPR article, Koppelman may have been the one to secure Trump’s nomination as the Republican candidate when he became an unbound delegate after Ted Cruz withdrew.
Koppelman’s tenure in the house has been defined with a mass of firearm related bills, all usually to cut regulation against guns. Along with that, Koppelman was also responsible for a bill to raise the speed limit in the state to 80 mph, which was vetoed by Governor Doug Burgum in 2023. And bills relating to transgender students in public schools.
Koppelman voted to expand free school lunch in the state and lower the years requirement for teachers to obtain a lifetime teaching license. He also supported a controversial book ban policy and parents rights legislation, leading to criticism from the local education group North Dakota United.
After being re-elected in 2024, Koppelman began a campaign to become the new house majority leader, hoping to replace the current leader Mike Lefor. Koppelman would lose his bid, and Lefor would remain the majority leader.
Personal life.
Koppelman is married to his wife, Julie, a West Fargo teacher. They have two children.
References.
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