Doug Burgum is the current governor of the State of North Dakota. Prior to going into politics, he was a prominent executive in the software industry. Including, but not limited to, his time with Microsoft.
Burgum is a member of the Republican party. In another time, he would likely be considered among the more conservative members of the party. But by today's standards, he's typically seen as more than at least some of his colleagues. And Burgum is reportedly ready to try to bring his somewhat more moderate style to the national stage.
Getting ready to launch a campaign to become the next U.S. president
Doug Burgum is expected to soon be an official Presidential candidate. He will make an official announcement on June 7th, according to Reuters and NBC. The event is scheduled to be held in Fargo.
Burgum would join an already large field on the Republican side for the 2024 nomination for president. He would be the second active governor to enter the race and the fourth overall.
It's believed that Burgum's potential campaign would not make cultural issues a point of emphasis, instead focusing on economic, security and energy policies. "Everything else gets better if we solve those problems," Burgum has stated.
Onlookers have labeled the governor's efforts as being a long-shot.
With him registering at or just above zero as far as name recognition with many Republican primary voters. But it can be noted that Burgum has been in that situation before.
Burgum was first elected as governor in 2016. Though he secured the Republican nomination by a wide margin, the result was viewed as an upset. State Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem had been seen as the heavy favorite.
In the general election, Burgum prevailed over Democratic State Representative Marvin Nelson in a dominant fashion. Four years later, he was re-elected handily.
North Dakota recently enacted a law putting gubernatorial term limits in place. However, Burgum was grandfathered in and thus could run for another term if he so chose.
The next election for governor in North Dakota is also slated for 2024. Meaning that if Burgum does gain traction in the race for president, it would likely rule him out for governor.
Has worked in a number of prominent positions
Doug Burgum is a native of Arthur in eastern North Dakota. His mother, Katherine, was active in Republican politics while he was growing up. He would graduate from North Dakota State University, where he became president of the student government. Burgum also later acquired a degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. There, he befriended future Microsoft CEO and Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.
Burgum would invest in the startup company Great Plains Software.
The company would later be purchased by Microsoft, who also took on Burgum as an employee. He would eventually oversee the Microsoft Business Solutions division. Later, he had roles with various other companies, including as Atlassian chairman of the board.
