North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum Enters Republican Presidential Primary

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (L) speaks with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (C) before the start of a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and governors visiting from states around the country, in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Feb. 10, 2023. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

On the same day that former Vice President Mike Pence entered the 2024 presidential race, a lesser-known Republican also announced his candidacy. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum joined the growing 2024 Republican primary field to challenge former President Donald Trump for the party’s nomination.

A North Dakota native who built Great Plains Software into a technology giant that was purchased by Microsoft for $1.1 billion in 2001, Burgum told a group of enthusiastic supporters in Fargo on June 7 that “we need a new leader for a changing economy. That’s why I’m announcing my run for president today.”