Arthur A. Link
| Arthur Albert Link | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 27th Governor of North Dakota | |
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In office January 2, 1973 – January 6, 1981 |
|
| Lieutenant | Wayne Sanstead |
| Preceded by | William L. Guy |
| Succeeded by | Allen I. Olson |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Dakota's 2nd district |
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In office January 3, 1971 – January 2, 1973 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas S. Kleppe |
| Succeeded by | District eliminated |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 24, 1914 Alexander, North Dakota |
| Died | June 1, 2010 (aged 96) Bismarck, North Dakota |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Grace Link |
| Profession | Politician |
| Religion | Lutheran |
| Website | artlinklegacy.com |
Arthur Albert Link (May 24, 1914 – June 1, 2010) was an American politician for the North Dakota Democratic Party, and later the Democratic-NPL. He served as a U.S. Representative from 1971 to 1973 and as the 27th Governor of North Dakota from 1973 to 1981.
Link was born in Alexander, North Dakota. He attended the McKenzie County schools, and North Dakota Agricultural College. He was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1946 as a Democrat, serving fourteen years as minority floor leader and speaker of the house, 1965. He was also a member of the Randolph Township Board, 1942–1972; McKenzie County Welfare Board, 1948–1969; Randolph School Board, 1945–1963; county and State Farm Security Administration committee, 1941–1946; and delegate, North Dakota State conventions, 1964-1968.
In 1970, Link was persuaded to run for U.S. Congress from the western district of North Dakota to succeed Republican incumbent Thomas S. Kleppe, who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. It was a job with little security as it appeared certain the state would be consolidated into a single congressional district after the census. He was narrowly elected as a Dem-NPLer to the Ninety-second Congress (January 3, 1971 – January 2, 1973) in a mild surprise; was not a candidate for reelection in 1972 but was a successful candidate for Governor of North Dakota; reelected in 1976 and served from January 2, 1973, until January 6, 1981.
Link was well liked and well respected as a governor. Those of all political persuasions found common ground with him. Some considered him a social conservative who was staunchly pro-life, deeply religious and willing to stand for principle even when political wisdom dictated otherwise, vetoing a bill to lower the state minimum drinking age to 19 years and providing leadership against legalizing gambling in the state. Others viewed him as a moderate as he was also astute fiscally, managing to avoid raising taxes of one of the poorer states in the nation. Still others saw him as a progressive, since he was still able to maintain and grow an excellent education system with affordable universities and students who consistently achieve some of the top test scores in the United States.
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