Doug Burgum, North Dakota’s billionaire governor and a 2024 GOP presidential hopeful, seeks to emerge from obscurity and capture national attention.

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Who is Doug Burgum?

Doug Burgum, the 66-year-old governor of North Dakota, is one of around a dozen candidates competing for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. Despite facing low name recognition and being considered a longshot contender, Burgum has employed creative approaches to garner attention and secure a spot in the upcoming GOP debate in Milwaukee on August 23.

A software entrepreneur, Burgum co-founded Great Plains Software in the 1980s, which Microsoft later acquired for $1.1 billion in 1997. His campaign is largely self-funded, with a $10.2 million personal loan supporting his presidential aspirations.

Burgum entered politics as a gubernatorial contender in 2016 and emerged as a major underdog. Running as an outsider, he secured victory in the GOP primary with a 20% margin, capitalizing on his outsider status during the same year when Donald Trump clinched the Republican presidential nomination.

He has embraced significant issues in his campaign, including signing one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country and prioritizing energy policies aligned with conservative principles. As governor, he set an ambitious goal for North Dakota to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, emphasizing the utilization of innovative technology to capture carbon emissions instead of relying on stringent regulations on fossil fuels.

Burgum’s foreign policy perspective centers on viewing China as America’s primary rival in the 21st Century. He perceives the U.S. to be engaged in a cold war with China, necessitating an economic victory. While he acknowledges the importance of ongoing dialogue, he remains steadfast in upholding American values and emphasizes the deep intertwining of the two economies.

Qualifying for the upcoming GOP debate represents a significant milestone for the Burgum campaign, offering national exposure. Despite Donald Trump remaining the front-runner, Burgum sees competition as healthy for the Republican Party and the nation. He is running with the determination to win, believing that his focus on crucial issues will resonate with the American public.

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As the race progresses, Burgum will address critical issues like abortion rights, standing firmly by the belief that such decisions should be left to individual states. With the debate stage offering him an opportunity to make his case, Doug Burgum aims to elevate his profile from relative obscurity and pave a path towards securing the Republican nomination in 2024.