Daniel M. Traynor

Daniel Traynor
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 24, 2026
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byRalph R. Erickson
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota
In office
January 13, 2020 – July 28, 2026
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byDaniel L. Hovland
Succeeded byVacant
Personal details
BornDaniel Mack Traynor
1970 (age 55–56)
Devils Lake, North Dakota, U.S.
PartyRepublican
EducationUniversity of North Dakota (BA, JD)

Daniel Mack Traynor (born 1970) is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Education

Traynor earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Dakota and his Juris Doctor, with distinction, from the University of North Dakota School of Law, where he served as an associate editor on the North Dakota Law Review.

Upon graduation from law school, Traynor served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Gerald W. VandeWalle of the North Dakota Supreme Court. From 1998 to 2019, he was a shareholder at the Traynor Law Firm in Devils Lake, North Dakota, where his practice focused on insurance defense, personal injury – branches of insurance law – and business litigation.

Federal judicial service

District Court service

On August 28, 2019, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Traynor to serve as a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota. On September 19, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate. He was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge Daniel L. Hovland, who assumed senior status on November 10, 2019. Traynor was recommended for the district court by Senator Kevin Cramer, who announced his support for the nomination. On September 25, 2019, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On October 31, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On December 18, 2019, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 51–42 vote. On December 19, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a 51–41 vote. He received his judicial commission on January 13, 2020. His service on the district court terminated on July 28, 2026, upon elevation to the court of appeals.

Court of Appeals service

On May 11, 2026, President Trump announced his intention to nominate Traynor to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to an undesignated seat. On May 12, 2026, Trump nominated Traynor to the seat on the Eighth Circuit being vacated by Judge Ralph R. Erickson. On July 16, 2026 his nomination was reported to the full Senate by a 11–10 vote. On July 22, 2026, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 51–46 vote. On July 23, 2026, his nomination was confirmed by a 48–47 vote. He received his judicial commission on July 24, 2026.

Notable cases

Traynor dismissed Corner Post, Inc. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in 2022, ruling that the suit was outside of the statute of limitations. In 2025, after the Supreme Court of the United States' ruling, Traynor ruled that the Federal Reserve "had acted outside the scope of its authority" under the Durbin amendment.

Memberships

Traynor is a member of the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education and former chair of the Disciplinary Board of the North Dakota Supreme Court. He has been a member of the Federalist Society since 2016.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Daniel Mack Traynor" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 8, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees and United States Marshal Nominee – The White House". trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov.
  3. ↑ Traynor, Daniel Mack (May 14, 2026). "Senate Judiciary Committee Questionnaire" (PDF). www.judiciary.senate.gov. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Eight Nominations and Three Withdrawals Sent to the Senate – The White House". trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov.
  5. ↑ "Senator Kevin Cramer on President Trump's Nomination of Daniel Traynor to be U.S. District Judge for North Dakota" (Press release). Bismarck, North Dakota. August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  6. ↑ Dura, Jack (28 August 2019). "President Trump nominates Devils Lake attorney for ND federal judgeship". Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  7. ↑ "Nominations | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary". www.judiciary.senate.gov.
  8. ↑ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – October 31, 2019, Senate Judiciary Committee" (PDF).
  9. ↑ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Daniel Mack Traynor, of North Dakota to be U.S. District Judge for the District of North Dakota)". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  10. ↑ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Daniel Mack Traynor to be U.S. District Judge for the District of North Dakota)". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  11. 1 2 Daniel M. Traynor at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  12. ↑ "Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)". Truth Social.
  13. ↑ "PN999-6 – Nomination of Daniel Mack Traynor for The Judiciary, 119th Congress (2025–2026)". www.congress.gov. May 12, 2026.
  14. ↑ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Daniel Mack Traynor to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit)". www.senate.gov. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  15. ↑ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Daniel Mack Traynor, of North Dakota, to United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit)". www.senate.gov. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  16. ↑ Scarcella, Mike (August 7, 2025). "US judge vacates Fed's debit card 'swipe fees' rule, but pauses order for appeal". Reuters.
  17. ↑ "North Dakota Retail Association v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 1:21-cv-00095". CourtListener.
  18. ↑ Weinberger, Evan (August 7, 2025). "Fed's Debit Card Swipe Fee Rule Tossed in Win for Retailers (2)". news.bloomberglaw.com.