Former North Dakota official who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. dies

By: Jeff Beach

Outlets: North Dakota Monitor

Published: January 16, 2026

Words: 410

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 5 days ago

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A North Dakota man who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and later served as the state’s insurance commissioner and labor commissioner has died.

Byron Knutson, a Democrat, was elected insurance commissioner in 1976, but was defeated for reelection in 1980. He served in the North Dakota House of Representatives from 1959 to 1963 and served one term as labor commissioner from 1987 until 1991.

Knutson died Dec. 6, 2025, but his family waited …

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