Wed, Mar 25th, 2020 - 12:10pm
January 22, 2024 - 5:23pm | By Chris Larson
(Bismarck, ND) – Questions began circling after Governor Doug Burgum announced he will not be running for a third term as Governor of the State of North Dakota. The announcement left many wondering – is Burgum stepping down to prepare to be a part of a potential Trump administration?
“Completely and totally unrelated,” Burgum said of his announcement not to seek a third term. “It’s flattering what President Trump has said from the stage and publicly, but the two things are completely not connected at all.”
Burgum has been rumored as a potential running mate for Trump should he receive the Republican nomination for President. Others say that, due to the nature of the energy sector in North Dakota, Burgum could serve as a Secretary of Energy under a Trump administration. But the two-term Governor is focusing on his job – not a potential spot in the presidential administration.
“All of that is hypothetical at this point in time, because President Trump would have to win the nomination, and he’d have to win a tough election in the fall. And then, of course, that’s all up to the President,” he said. “The President gets to decide on who’s his running mate, and who’s his cabinet team, and I’m sure that he’ll pick an excellent cabinet and an excellent running mate at the time of his choosing.”
As for running for political office in the future, Burgum said he's not ruling out the option.
