 He resigned effective May 2005 to become President and CEO of the North Dakota Bankers Association and Cory Fong was appointed to serve until an election in 2006 (where Fong was elected).In responding to Clayburgh's resignation, Governor John Hoeven described him as "a dedicated servant of North Dakota for the past twenty years" who had served with "integrity and distinction" and stated that he would be missed.Clayburgh was well-favored in his 2002 campaign for North Dakota's at-large congressional district against incumbent Democrat Earl Pomeroy, and ran an aggressive campaign including a visit from then-Vice President Dick Cheney in Fargo, North Dakota.