Conner Swanson
Health and Human Services Commissioner
Gov. Kelly Armstrong appointed Conner Swanson to lead North Dakota Health and Human Services, effective Aug. 29, 2026.
Swanson served as a senior advisor in the Governor’s Office since Armstrong and Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden took office in December 2024. His portfolio included HHS, the largest agency in state government with an approved two-year budget of over $5.7 billion, including federal funds, and a team of nearly 2,500 authorized FTEs. The HHS commissioner is a member of the governor’s Cabinet.
A Bowman native, Swanson previously served as a policy advisor and communications director for Armstrong from 2020 to 2024 during Armstrong’s tenure as North Dakota’s lone U.S. representative in Congress, and as senior advisor to the U.S. House Budget Committee. He also served in the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration and as assistant to the North Dakota House Majority Leader.
While attending North Dakota State University, Swanson completed internships for then-U.S. Rep. Rick Berg and U.S. Sen. John Hoeven. He earned a master’s degree in natural resources management from NDSU in 2017.