Doug Burgum: On the Issues

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has had trouble gaining traction in the Republican primary, trying to position himself as a successful governor and businessman with a track record to run against President Joe Biden.

He has, at times, been critical of former President Donald Trump, and has not agreed with Trump's claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

"I believe that Joe Biden won the election," Burgum said in August in an interview.

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He has focused his campaign on traditional Republican issues, like energy, taxes and spending.

"We’re paying too much for energy in our state right now — in our country right now. But part of the reason why is because the Biden policies on energy," he said during the first Republican debate. "We’ve got a plan right now, the $1.2 trillion of Green New Deal spending buried in the 'inflation creation act,' is something that is just subsidizing China."

Here is where Burgum stands on several other key issues:

Abortion

Burgum signed a law that bans abortion in North Dakota after six weeks, even in the case of rape and incest. He believes that abortion should be left to the states in the wake of Dobbs, and doesn’t support a national ban.

Entitlements

Burgum has suggested entitlement programs should be protected, and that driving efficiency among the federal workforce could free up funds to cover those programs. In 2021, Burgum signed a bill into law exempting Social Security income from the state income tax.

Immigration

Burgum has sent North Dakota National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border to assist with addressing illegal immigration and blames Biden for the situation on the border. He also laments that highly skilled and highly educated immigrants don’t always have options to stay in the U.S., even if they’ve gone to college here. He supports a pathway to legal immigration for these immigrants. 

Guns

Burgum supports access to guns and frequently touts his A rating from the NRA.

“Well, on a standpoint of guns, a lifetime hunter, lifetime gun owner," he said in a June interview on the "Hugh Hewitt Show." "Both my mom and dad were hunters. My mom loved duck hunting and pheasant hunting. The first gun I had was an Ithaca 16-gauge shotgun that came down from her. So strong record, top rating from the NRA.”

Ukraine

Burgum declared a day of prayer for Ukraine in March 2022 and told a Ukrainian official that North Dakota stands in solidarity with the nation. And he’s been critical of the Biden administration, saying it didn't do enough to deter Russia. At the first debate, he did not raise his hand when asked about cutting funds for Ukraine.

“What we have got going on in Ukraine is an example of when deterrence failed, what is an example there of Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the fact that he greenlighted Putin moving into Ukraine, and then now they see weakness," he said during the debate. "And when they see weakness, they make a move."