Doug Burgum
Governor of North Dakota — currently serving. Party, term history, and sourced provenance. Sections fill in as records land.
Terms
- Governor of North Dakota Republican Current
- Governor of North Dakota Republican
Background
- background Born August 1, 1956 in Arthur, North Dakota; North Dakota State University (1978); Stanford MBA (1980).
- achievement Mortgaged inherited farmland to invest in Great Plains Software (1983); sold to Microsoft for $1.1 billion in 2001.
- role Won 2016 North Dakota gubernatorial election in landslide; reelected by wide margin in 2020; served 2016–2024.
- role Nominated U.S. Secretary of the Interior (November 2024); confirmed by Senate 79–18 (January 2025); sworn in February 2025.
- achievement Launched 2024 presidential campaign (June 2023); ended candidacy December 2023; became Trump campaign energy advisor.
- controversy Announced in 2026 that U.S. taxpayers would pay energy companies ~$2.6 billion to halt wind farm construction plans.
Governors lead the executive branch of their state. Browse other officials in People, or read how state and federal offices fit together in the civics primer. Coverage is honest — current governors plus recent history.