Takeaways: How Trump’s possible VP pick shifted on LGBTQ+ issues as his presidential bid neared
BISMARCK, ND — Republican from North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is little known on the national stage, but is now a top choice to be former president Donald Trump’ s vice presidential running mate.
The wealthy software entrepreneur has led North Dakota as a CEO. He is a proponent of business-oriented items such as reduction of income tax and technology upgrades for state government, from cybersecurity to state websites. He has not spoken out on social issues, even when the Republican-led state Legislature sent him a barrage of anti-LGBTQ+ bills last year. But after blocking some of the bills in 2021 and 2023, he later signed most of them — around the same time he was preparing a 2024 presidential bid that failed within months.
Here are some takeaways about Burgum and its actions:
Burgum, 67, grew up in a small town in North Dakota. After college, he led Great Plains Software, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2001 for $1.1 billion. Burgum remained a vice president at Microsoft until 2007. He went on to lead other real estate development and venture capital companies.
Burgum was best known as a software executive and businessman before his surprise campaign for governor in 2016, when he defeated the state’s attorney general in the GOP primary. He campaigned on “reinventing” government as the state struggled with a $1 billion revenue shortfall.
Burgum ran as a business leader in 2016 and has governed with the same approach. He has talked about “treating taxpayers like customers.” He brought some Microsoft veterans and other private sector people into state government.
He is has reduced income taxes, cybersecurity improvements, upgrades to the state website, cuts to state regulations, and changes in higher education governance and livestock laws. The planned one Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is one of his greatest efforts.
Burgum can tell you all about it in detail carbon absorption, energy policy and other topics of interest to him. He often brags about North Dakota’s underground “geologic jackpot” for carbon dioxide storage, and touts an “innovation over regulation” approach.
People who worked with him in the governor’s office say he is extremely eager to learn and works long hours.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers who worked with Burgum say it was disappointing to see him sign a raft of anti-LGBTQ+ bills into law in 2023, and that he may have been keeping an eye on the national stage. Burgum an offer has been made for president in June 2023, about a month after the legislative session ends.
In 2021, Burgum a bill vetoed banning transgender girls from girls’ sports in public schools. Early 2023, he vetoed a bill he said teachers would become “pronoun police.”
But later in the 2023 session, as he prepared to run for president, he said signed the series of accounts restricting transgender people, including one ban on gender-affirming medical treatments for children And two sports bans similar to the bill he vetoed in 2021.
He also signed a bill for a book ban but vetoed a more far-reaching one. Opponents said the accounts went after LGBTQ+ literature.
Burgum also signed a bill for this North Dakota’s revised abortion laws after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The state’s abortion ban is one of the strictest in the US. Burgum has not spoken out on LGBTQ+ issues or abortion.
Burgum ended his presidential campaign in December 2023, after failing to gain traction. The next month he said he would not seek a third term as governor.