Where Doug Burgum stands on issues that matter to voters

Share and Follow

(NewsNation) — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was elected to public office for the first time in 2016, and now, he’s seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

A businessman by trade, he became the president of Great Plains Software in 1984, a company he would go on to sell to Microsoft. Forbes estimated his net worth to be around 100 million dollars this year, making him one of the wealthier 2024 hopefuls, falling behind only entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former President Donald Trump.

He announced his candidacy in June and did enough to qualify for the first two Republican primary debates. On the campaign trail, he points to his track record as governor, touting the state’s work to expand its energy sector.

He has said that fixing the economy would be his top priority as president, leaning on his record as governor when he passed reforms on pensions, lowered taxes and called for increasing domestic energy production and strengthening the value of the dollar around the world.

Ahead of the 2024 election, NewsNation is committed to covering the issues that matter most to voters so they can make the most informed choices possible at the polls. Read about the policy positions of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Here’s a look at Burgum’s policy positions and political views as he competes for your vote:

Border crisis and immigration

Crime and criminal justice reform

Guns and mental health

In 2021, Burgum signed a bill designating North Dakota as a “Second Amendment Sanctuary State,” reinforcing the state’s support for the right to bear arms
At the second GOP debate, he said restrictive gun laws aren’t working and said the United States needs to address other areas like “family” and mental health

Stance on Israel and Palestine, the war in Ukraine

Economy, inflation and oil

Promotes an “innovation over regulation” policy, according to his campaign website
Says if elected he will lower inflation and gas prices, cut taxes and reduce the cost of living
Wants America to be “energy independent” and reduce purchasing of foreign oil

Teacher shortage and pronouns

Burgum signed an executive order in September creating a task force designed to address the state’s chronic teacher shortage
He supports innovation as a means of improving student success
In May, he signed a bill that outlaws pronoun policies in schools
While he has championed school choice, he vetoed a bill in April that would have offset the cost for some families who send their children to private school

Child care availability and costs

Rural development

China, Taiwan and TikTok

Burgum has said the United States is in a “cold war” with China
He has called Chinese President Xi Jinping a “brutal dictator,” a characterization President Joe Biden has also made
Last year, Burgum signed an executive order banning TikTok on state-owned devices
At the first Republican debate, Burgum said China is the No. 1 issue the United States is facing and called for placing anti-ship missiles in Taiwan

Fentanyl crisis, opioid epidemic

Burgum has called for urgency in addressing the fentanyl epidemic, including strengthening border security
Approved a bill that created a special penalty for illegal drug sellers and suppliers
Emphasized the need to target China for providing precursor chemicals used to manufacture drugs in Mexico
At a recent town hall in New Hampshire, Burgum said he would treat addiction and mental health as a health care issue

Climate change and energy production

Announced a goal to make North Dakota a carbon-neutral state by 2030, using an “all-of-the-above” approach to energy production and rejecting federal mandates
He said at a recent town hall that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management should allow energy-related activities on the 240 million acres of land it oversees