BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum is little known on the national stage but is now a top choice as former President Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate.
The wealthy software entrepreneur has led North Dakota as a CEO. He has championed pro-business issues such as tax cuts and technology upgrades for state government, from cybersecurity to state websites. He has not spoken out on social issues, even when the Republican-led state Legislature sent him a barrage of anti-LGBTQ+ bills last year. But after blocking some of the bills in 2021 and 2023, he later signed most of them — around the same time he was preparing a 2024 presidential bid that failed within months.
Here are some conclusions about Burgum and his actions:
From a small town, Burgum grew into a wealthy administrator
Burgum, 67, grew up in a small town in North Dakota. After college, he led Great Plains Software, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2001 for $1.1 billion. Burgum remained vice president at Microsoft until 2007. He then led other companies in real estate development and venture capital.
Burgum was best known as a software executive and businessman before his surprise campaign for governor in 2016, when he defeated the state’s attorney general in the GOP primary. He campaigned on “reinventing” government as the state struggled with a $1 billion revenue shortfall.
As governor, his focus was on economic, not social, issues
Burgum campaigned as business leader in 2016 and has governed with the same approach. He has talked about “treating taxpayers like customers.” He brought some Microsoft veterans and other private sector people into the state government.
He has pushed for income tax cuts, cybersecurity improvements, upgrades to state websites, cuts to state regulations and changes to higher education governance and livestock laws. The planned Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is one of his greatest efforts.
Burgum can talk at length about carbon capture, energy policy and other topics of interest to him. He often boasts about North Dakota’s underground “geological jackpot” for carbon storage, and touts an “innovation over regulation” approach.
People who have worked with him in the governor’s office say he is extremely curious and works long hours.
Burgum’s positions on LGBTQ+ issues changed
Democratic and Republican lawmakers who worked with Burgum say it was disappointing to see him sign a series of anti-LGBTQ+ bills into law in 2023, and that he may have been keeping an eye on the national stage. Burgum launched a presidential bid in June 2023, about a month into the legislative session.
In 2021, Burgum vetoed a bill that would ban transgender girls from girls’ sports in public schools. In early 2023, he vetoed a bill that he said would make teachers “pronoun police.”
But later in the 2023 session, as he prepared to run for president, he signed a slew of bills restricting transgender people, including a ban on gender-affirming medical treatments for children and two sports bans similar to the one that he had vetoed in 2021.
He also signed a bill banning books, but vetoed a more far-reaching bill. Opponents said the bills went after LGBTQ+ literature.
Burgum also signed a bill that overhauled North Dakota’s abortion laws after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The state’s abortion ban is one of the strictest in the US. Burgum has not spoken out on LGBTQ+ issues or abortion.
Burgum ended his presidential campaign in December 2023 after failing to gain traction. The following month he said he would not seek a third term as governor.
