Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) took a step toward entering the 2024 Republican presidential race on Monday when he released a video promoting his plan to “get America back on track.”
“I grew up in a tiny town in North Dakota. ‘Woke’ was what you did at 5 a.m. to start the day,” Burgum said, referring to the term Republican politicians have used as a talking point to rally voters against left-wing ideology.
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Burgum is serving his second term as North Dakota's governor and plans to launch his campaign Wednesday in Fargo, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal.
“Instead of shutting down American oil and gas, we should unleash energy production and start selling energy to our allies instead of buying it from our enemies,” Burgum said, boasting his governorship's record of cutting red tape and bringing the state to a surplus. “High taxes, red tape, and inflation are choking every American.”
Burgum is an Arthur, North Dakota, native. He graduated from North Dakota State University before earning a master’s degree from Stanford University. His startup tech company, Great Plains Software, was sold to Microsoft in 2001.
Much of the video highlighted Burgum’s hometown scenery and dubbed him a "small-town boy turned self-made, world-class business leader.”
Burgum offers himself up as a third option for the Republican Party, seemingly targeting other candidates' behaviors, saying his plan for the nation involves more listening and less “anger, yelling, and fighting.”
The 2024 Republican presidential primary has racked up a long list of governors vying for the highest office, including Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and two former governors, Nikki Haley of South Carolina and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas.
Two other former governors, former Vice President Mike Pence of Indiana and Chris Christie of New Jersey, are expected to announce their Republican presidential bids this week.
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The GOP candidate field now adds up to 13 potential nominees, compared to two declared candidates running against President Joe Biden.
“States created the federal government, not the other way around,” Burgum said. “Let's shrink the federal government and return power to the states.”