How Gov. Burgum stands in his potential bid

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - It’s looking more and more like a North Dakota politician will be joining the race for president.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is expected to announce in less than two weeks that he is running for president in 2024.

Gov. Burgum entered the 2016 race for governor as a political newcomer, and many believe this would be a very similar uphill battle.

On the Republican side, Burgum would be facing off in the primary with former president Donald Trump, who is the republican front-runner with between 50-70% of the preference in recent polls.

Florida governor Ron Desantis is running as a republican who can “get things done” and is polling in the 20-30% range.

Then there is a group of republicans, including former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and potentially Gov. Burgum, who are vying for the moderate republican vote.

Burgum has pitched himself as a pro-business governor, calling for “innovation, not regulation” when it comes to energy, and he signed a major tax cut bill just this year. But he’s often vetoed socially conservative measures passed by the republican state legislature, including a transgender pronoun bill, a book ban bill, and a private school voucher bill.

Burgum is currently serving his second term as governor. He was first elected as governor in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020 with nearly 66% of the vote.

Many people have taken to social media today to share their thoughts and opinions on the potential bid. Some say, “I really can’t complain on how he is running the state but I don’t think he is ready for president yet,” and others saying, “He doesn’t have my vote.”

Despite some people not being in favor, U.S. Senator John Hoeven sent a statement to Valley News Live today saying, “I have known Doug Burgum for a long time. He has been a leader for our state in both the private sector and now as governor. I will leave any announcements up to him, but if he does choose to run he has my endorsement and I wish him well in the race.”

Even if Burgum doesn’t win, getting his name out in national circles could set him up for a cabinet appointment if a republican wins in 2024, and access to more national media.

Although he hasn’t announced he’s running yet, sources close to Gov. Burgum say that a decision will be announced in Fargo on June 7th at the Sanctuary Events Center.

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