Burgum’s campaign is winding down after months of stagnant polling that reflects a lack of interest in the wealthy tech entrepreneur, who is little known outside the Midwestern state. Burgum, 67, has pitched himself as a job creator uniquely qualified to build economies and bridges between small towns and big cities, but has never found a Republican base on that platform, which has largely avoided Burgum’s attacks on former President Donald Trump. -Runner, he supported in 2020.
After he failed to qualify for a third GOP presidential primary debate, Burgum argued that his campaign, propped up by his personal wealth, should continue at least until then. Early states can be weighed.
“I am proud of my accomplishments and vision to improve the lives of every American,” he wrote in the Des Moines Register on Nov. 11. “Although political insiders try to stop me, that is why I am continuing my campaign.”
After entering the race in June, Burgum touted his state’s economic growth, his life story of working as a college chimney sweep and borrowing on farmland he inherited to build a software company bought by Microsoft for $1.1 billion. He distinguished himself from “career politicians” who, he argued, could not “walk the walk”.
Burgum’s campaign, largely self-funded, is a testament to the ability of multi-millionaires to rely on their own wealth to run for office. Burgum loaned the campaign about $10.2 million of the $11.8 million his campaign raised in the second quarter, according to finance filings. And his ad reach has matched that of more successful campaigns: As of mid-November, he had spent nearly $6 million on ads year-end, more than the campaigns of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.
Meanwhile, Burgum is averaging 1 percent nationally or 2 percent in Iowa and New Hampshire, according to RealClearPolitics, indicating that his policy message and lesser-known name are not resonating with voters.
Burgum brushed off questions about his credibility as his polling stalled, likening predicting who would win the Super Bowl to giving up and then stopping the game. He also said that when he didn’t do the third debate, the show’s viewership dropped.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” he said Wrote in X, formerly Twitter. “Let the people decide!”
Correction
An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Doug Burgum loaned his campaign about $10.2 million in the third quarter. He lent that amount in the second quarter. The article has been corrected.
