North Dakota governor previews ‘big announcement’ ahead of expected presidential run

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s (R) campaign Monday rolled out a video of the governor introducing himself to voters ahead of his expected entrance into the 2024 presidential race this week.

The 3-minute, 30-second video touts Burgum’s experience as a businessman and as governor, dubbing him “a new leader for a changing economy.”

“I grew up in a tiny town in North Dakota. Woke is what you did at 5 a.m. to start the day,” Burgum says in the spot, referring to the term “woke,” which GOP candidates have used to criticize bringing awareness to social issues, particularly those involving race. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who entered the 2024 race late last month, relies on the term particularly heavily.

Much of the video is adorned with scenic visuals of North Dakota’s farmland.

“A kid from small-town North Dakota. That’s America,” Burgum says.

In the video, Burgum invokes his experience as CEO of Great Plains Software, which he made public in 1997 and sold to Microsoft in 2001.

“I ignored those who said North Dakota was too small, too cold and too remote to build a world-class software company, so I literally bet the farm to help build a tiny startup into a billion-dollar company with customers in 132 countries,” Burgum says.

Burgum is preparing to launch a presidential campaign Wednesday, joining 12 other candidates in the field.

Burgum is expected to make the announcement in Fargo, then travel to Iowa and New Hampshire.

Former Vice President Mike Pence is also set to announce his bid Wednesday, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is set to announce Tuesday.

All three candidates will likely face an uphill climb in the field, which has been dominated by former President Trump. Burgum, in particular, will face a challenge due to his relative lack of national prominence.

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