Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) expressed his excitement about his campaigning in an already crowded GOP field for the presidential nomination.
Burgum is facing off against former President Donald Trump, who has maintained a firm lead among his party in recent polling data, as well as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who has steadily trailed behind Trump.
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“I don’t think a dozen candidates is too many. Competition is great for America,” Burgum said on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday. “It’s great for any industry, and it’s great for the Republican Party. It’s great for our voters to have to have choices.”
According to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, the North Dakota governor has already spent $2.9 million since entering the race on June 7. Burgum outspent the next biggest spender, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), by a factor of two in the same period. The DeSantis-aligned Never Back Down PAC and Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. spent $2.9 million, but still less than Burgum, and $2.8 million, respectively.
When asked about a national abortion ban, Burgum shied away from the topic—saying he believes “the federal government overreaches in so many different areas.” His comments are a pull away from a trend among other GOP candidates who have thrown support behind a nationwide abortion ban after 15 weeks.
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Burgum was most recently polling at 0.3%, according to a RealClearPolitics average. He will need to secure at least 1% in order to qualify for the Republican National Committee’s primary debate.
North Dakota voters first elected Burgum as the state’s governor in 2016, and reelected the presidential hopeful for a second term which ends in 2024.
