Doug Burgum 2024 presidential campaign

Burgum had been considered to be a potential candidate for the presidential election since March 2023.[2] By May, it had been reported that he was filming commercials and was working with political consultants with presidential campaign experience.[3]

On June 5, 2023, Burgum posted a video to his Twitter account, highlighting his accomplishments as governor and teasing a "big announcement" on June 7.[4] He formally announced his campaign in The Wall Street Journal the morning of June 7,[1] with the launch of a campaign website and a rally in Fargo scheduled to take place later that day.[5]

On June 12, it was reported that Burgum had become the top-spending candidate in both Iowa and New Hampshire, mostly on television advertisements.[6] On June 21, 2023, Politico reported that Burgum hired Mike Zolnierowicz, former Chief of Staff to Bruce Rauner, as his campaign manager.[7]

Burgum has defended his entry into an already-crowded race with the assertion that additional competition will be good for the party, while highlighting his Midwestern roots and history of working in manual labor positions before becoming wealthy in the technology sector.[8]

To secure his place on the debate stages, Burgum offered individuals who donated $1 to his campaign a $20 gift card as a "Biden Relief Card",[9][10] an offer which prompted questions of its legality. On July 19, he announced that he had cleared the 40,000 donor requirement to appear in the first Republican presidential primary debate.[11] In a June 7 poll shortly after announcing his candidacy, 90% of Republican voters responded that they did not know who Burgum was and going into the first debate he was polling at just 0.4%.[12]

Burgum attended the first debate on August 23, 2023, despite injuring his Achilles tendon the day prior while playing a basketball game with his campaign staff.[13] However, at the debate, Burgum had the second smallest amount of speaking time of any of the candidates.[14][15]

Burgum's presence at the first debate failed to result in any serious boost to his campaign numbers, and he risked not being qualified to attend the second debate, as he needed three percent of the vote in several polls to qualify.[16] A Super PAC supporting him, Best of America PAC, rolled out a national ad campaign in an attempt to help him make the second debate that was set for September 27.[17]

As the debate drew closer, and without a noticeable improvement in the polls, Burgum expressed frustration with the polling requirements, calling them a “goofy clubhouse rule.” He also stated that if he did not make the second debate he intended to continue to run his campaign through at least the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries.[18] On September 23, Burgum reached the three percent threshold in one national poll[19] and on September 26 was added to the list of candidates that would attend the debate.[20]

As the most marginal candidate, Burgum was not frequently called on by the debate moderators, and only had eight minutes four seconds of speaking time; however, he interjected himself to answer questions even if he wasn't asked.[21] Notably Burgum focused on Biden's EV policy, stating that his outsourcing of battery production to China, and shift away from traditional automobiles will only exacerbate problems like the UAW strike.[22][23]

Burgum's support peaked with a 3% presence in a late September poll, and has polled at close to 1% since the second debate. Larry Jacobs, the political studies chairman at the University of Minnesota, stated that Burgum's campaign has lacked a "compelling moment": some endorsement, widely shared speech, or other event to spark a sudden shift in Burgum's favor. By October 2023, Burgum has spent upwards of $25 million on his campaign, with $10 million coming from his own pocket, and with no real shift in the polls to show for it.[24] In an effort to boost his campaign, Burgum doubled down on $20 gift cards for a $1 donation, a ploy which helped him secure a spot on the first and second debate stage.[25]

Burgum's campaign has been notably able to garner large amounts of funds, raising $15.2 million by October 20, despite his low presence in the polls. This is thanks to a series of ultra-wealthy donors backing Burgum, including: First International Bank CEO Steve Stenehjem, Actor Josh Duhamel, New York Jets lineman Connor McGovern, Coca-Cola CEO J. Frank Harrison III, eBay chairman Thomas J. Tierney, Milwaukee Bucks owner Michael Fascitelli and Microsoft executives Patrick Meenan and Ryan Kruizenga. Burgum is also supported by a series of SuperPACs, namely those created by Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, as well as the The Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative PAC, the North Dakota Petroleum Council PAC, and the pro-Coal Lignite Energy Council PAC.[26]

Burgum has been forced to take a week long break in his campaign, starting on October 22, for a special session of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly after the North Dakota Supreme Court struck down the state's budget as unconstitutional, stating that the general budget did not meet North Dakota's constitution’s single-subject requirement for bills. Burgum has expressed confidence in the Legislature righting the situation by November 1st, however, he has to be present in Bismark to approve the 14 separate budget bills that the legislature seeks to pass to recreate the initial budget. However, lawmakers have made it clear that the new piecemeal budget will not include the $91 million income tax cut Burgum proposed for the initial budget, despite Burgum's urging for reconsideration. Additionally, lawmakers will use the special session to deliberate on an additional 25 pending bills, which will see Burgum's desk if passed.[27][28]

Burgum stated that the issue of American energy independence is an issue of national security. Deriding what he called a “full-on assault of liquid fuels in this country” and has regularly criticized Joe Biden's push for more electric cars which increases U.S. reliance on Chinese-made car batteries. His solution is to open up Bureau of Land Management land for energy-related activities, such as rare earth metal mining and oil and natural gas drilling. However, as governor, Burgum has promised to make North Dakota carbon neutral by 2030 and although he has stated he will loosen regulations for the gas industry, he also stated that he is still committed to supporting clean energy projects.[29]

Burgum has been a vocal supporter of carbon-capture pipelines while governor, going so far as to allow three natural gas companies, Summit Carbon Solutions, Navigator CO2 Ventures, and Wolf Carbon Solutions, to use eminent domain to seize land to install pipelines.[30] These pipelines would transport excess Carbon dioxide captured from ethanol production plants in Iowa to facilities in North Dakota to store them deep underground. However, rural residents are opposed to the pipelines due to the fear of leaks, as well as the seizure of private land to create them.[31] When confronted about the issue at a rally in Iowa, Burgum changed his position saying that he is fervently against eminent domain but insisted that carbon-capture was good for the economy and the environment, and that it would allow the continual use of traditional internal combustion automobiles indefinitely.[30]

Shortly after the start of the Hamas-Israeli conflict, Burgum blamed the violence on the foreign policy of Joe Biden calling it appeasement and stated that:[32]

“What I would like to say if I am Commander in Chief and when I’m your president is we won’t be having these unprovoked attacks, we won’t have Putin invading Ukraine, we won’t have Hamas being funded by Iran because we would be pursuing a policy of peace through strength as opposed to a policy of appeasement”[32]

Burgum has also stated that "Israel has been our strongest ally" in the Middle East over the last 50 years, and the United States should take more steps to actively aid the nation militarily.[32] Burgum also criticized the Biden administration for allowing the transfer of $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets in September in exchange for the release of five prisoners from Iran. He also stated that if he was president he would consider sending U.S. troops to Israel to fight Hamas.[33]

In an interview with ABC News' Linsey Davis, Doug's wife, Kathryn, opened up about her past history of being suicidal and an alcoholic and stated that if she became First Lady that her top priority would be working to find a solution to the "behavior health crisis" and working to end stigma towards mental health as well as reworking insurance.[34] Shortly afterwards, at an event in New Hampshire, Doug stated that he believed addition to be the root of most of America's problems, from crime, homelessness, and mental health. Burgum has stated that if elected president he would overhaul the reimbursement systems for mental health care and would find a place for the private sector to get involved in funding solutions for substance use disorders. As governor, Burgum shifted some of North Dakota's prisons to look more akin to a mental health institution, a policy he stated he would attempt to emulate at a federal level.[29]

Burgum supports the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and the right to bear arms. He claims to be a lifelong hunter and a lifelong gun owner and has an A rating from the National Rifle Association. Burgum has neither stated if he will increase nor decrease gun regulations in the United States.[35]

Burgum describes himself as pro-life and supports a six-week abortion ban, even in the case of rape and incest. However, he stated that he would not support a federal abortion ban, and that the decision to ban or allow abortion should be determined by the individual states.[35]

Burgum supports preserving existing entitlement programs and should be federally protected. He also supports improving federal efficiency to free up more money for entitlement. In 2021 Burgum signed a bill into law that exempted social security from North Dakota's state income tax.[35]

Burgum has sent North Dakota National Guard to the US-Mexico border to stem illegal immigration and blamed Joe Biden's policies for a recent surge in illegal immigration. He supports immigrants, even illegal immigrants, that are college educated either in their home nation or in the United States to come to the United States and supports creating more pathways for immigration for college educated individuals.[35]