Day: June 27, 2023

First Serious Presidential Candidate From North Dakota

By Bob Small

Doug Burgum, second-term millionaire governor of North Dakota, has declared himself a GOP Candidate for President.

In his campaign website, he touts how he inherited a $1.7 billion state budget shortfall which he balanced by cutting spending.  He’s a self-made millionaire who worked his way through college as a chimney sweep, etc.

The Stanford Graduate, from North Dakota State, (the same college as former Eagles QB Carson Wentz), sold his company, Eagle Great Plains Software, to Microsoft for a cool $1.1 billion.  He began the software company by mortgaging $250,00 of inherited farmland.

He became Governor in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020, despite his ex-wife Karen Stoker campaigning for his opponent, Shelley Lenz

He grew up in Arthur, North Dakota, population  323, 

Why Doug Burgum Could Surprise In The 2024 Republican Primary

 He is among the top six candidates financially.

A New York Times article quotes conservative North Dakota commentator Dustin Gawrylow as saying Burgum “is genuinely thinking this is a vehicle for promoting North Dakota.”

Another New York Times article mentions he has signed eight pieces of anti-trans Legislation, though there was a great deal of protest around this as per this Inform article.

For all of that, there is a great deal of hope for his candidacy.

He signed a bill requiring physicians to inform women that it may be possible to reverse a drug-induced abortion.  For his other views, see these two websites.

According to https://ontheissues.org “he would not back a nationwide ban on abortions and that the issue is best left to the states”.