Doug Burgum
Running for: US President
Doug Burgum surprised many politicos when he announced his presidential campaign in June. He does not have the name recognition of many other candidates, but he may get attention for recent bills he signed in North Dakota, including a ban on abortion after six weeks and a ban on gender-related care for minors. So far he is focusing his campaign on the economy and energy policy.
Position on Issues
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Burgum signed a strict abortion ban as Governor of North Dakota, but says he would not sign an abortion ban at the federal level.
In a 2023 Meet the Press interview, he said, "Well, my position is that I support the Dobbs decision, and this is the decision that should be left to the states. And what's going to pass in North Dakota is not ever going to pass in California and New York, and wouldn't even pass in the state of Minnesota. I -- that's why I'm on the record saying that I would not sign a federal abortion ban."
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Burgum believes the U.S. should continue to provide support to Ukraine, but also believes there should be audits of financial support. "Russia cannot have a win coming out of this, because if it’s a win for them, it’s a win for China," he said. "And so, I just say, again, every time the U.S spends dollars, whether it’s defense or whether it’s on healthcare or any program, there ought to be transparency and accountability, and that’s one thing we brought in North Dakota."
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Candidate's Website, 2023
"A key reason we need to empower American innovation is to dramatically increase energy production. Doug knows we need to stop buying energy from our enemies and start selling energy to our friends and allies. America produces energy cleaner and safer than anywhere else in the world. When America becomes truly energy independent and supports our allies we prevent wars like Putin started in Ukraine. We stabilize the globe and restore America as the leader of the free world."Against| Read My Position
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Candidate's Facebook Page, 2018
While Burgum has not specifically addressed tariffs going forward, he opposed the higher tariffs on Chinese goods under former President Trump.
"These proposed tariffs are particularly concerning for North Dakotans considering China is our fourth-largest export market and a major buyer of our agricultural products, including our No. 1 export market for soybeans," Burgum said. "Disrupting that trade relationship puts our farmers at a disadvantage, and we urge the administration to negotiate a deal that benefits U.S. producers and blocks these proposed retaliatory tariffs from taking effect."
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Burgum has not specifically addressed a border wall with Mexico. However, he frequently criticizes Pres. Biden for failing to secure the border.
"The threat to national security grows every day that the Biden administration abdicates the responsibility of the federal government to secure our borders – failing to enforce existing immigration laws and failing to dedicate the resources needed to stop the tide of illegal immigration and drug trafficking that endangers lives in communities across our country," Burgum said.
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While Burgum has expressed support for decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, he also opposed a 2018 ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana use in North Dakota. "My personal stance against full, unfettered legalization of recreational marijuana has not changed," he said.
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Burgum has not specifically addressed age minimums for firearm purchases. However, in 2021 he signed a proclamation designating North Dakota as a "Second Amendment Sanctuary State."
"Both the U.S. Constitution and North Dakota Constitution recognize our citizens' inalienable right to keep and bear arms, and designating North Dakota as a Second Amendment Sanctuary State sends a strong message to Congress and the White House that we will firmly resist any attempts to infringe on those rights," he said.
Burgum also signed a 2017 bill that allows North Dakotans to carry a concealed firearm without a license.
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Other, 2022
While Burgum has not specifically addressed a tax on unrealized capital gains, he generally opposes higher income tax rates. For example, in his 2023 North Dakota budget address he said, "To make our state a more attractive, affordable place to live and give us an advantage as we compete for workers, we can and should adopt the lowest flat-rate income tax in the nation. The income tax relief plan proposed in our budget will eliminate the state individual income tax for three out of five taxpayers. The remaining income taxpayers will see their liability reduced by roughly one-quarter to one-half, allowing North Dakotans to keep more of their hard-earned money."
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Candidate's Website, 2023
"Doug will get inflation under control, cut taxes, lower gas prices, reduce the cost of living and help people realize their fullest potential."For| Read My Position
In 2022 Burgum released a statement that "The Biden administration should also commit now to a plan to ... provide an immediate waiver to the Jones Act to reduce shipping costs"
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As Governor of North Dakota, Burgum released the following statement:
"Instead of focusing on reducing the rising costs of higher education, the President’s blatantly political and financially reckless plan will only incent institutions to raise tuition prices even faster while also encouraging more student borrowing and driving up inflation even further, hitting every American in the pocketbook whether they attended college or not. This horribly misguided and incredibly unfair plan undermines a core American principle that individuals are responsible for paying off their own personal debts. This federal action will not affect student loans held by the Bank of North Dakota, and we would strongly oppose any copycat legislation at the state level. North Dakotans, like the majority of Americans, believe shifting college student loan debt onto the backs of their fellow citizens is fundamentally wrong."
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In an op-ed Burgum wrote, "This year we achieved pension reform, helped pass term limits, and enacted the biggest tax cut in state history. I can do the same for America. The U.S. has the hardest-working people in the world. But we need new leadership to unleash our potential."
