North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced he is dropping out of the Republican primary after failing to qualify for the fourth GOP presidential debate.
The presidential hopeful made the announcement on Monday and blamed it on his inability to meet the Republican National Committee's (RNC) strict requirements to qualify for the debate. Burgum, a second-term governor and wealthy software entrepreneur, dropped his campaign only a few hours after the list of candidates who met the debate requirements was released.
Doug Burgum Bows Out of Republican Primary
Burgum blamed the RNC, which is responsible for setting qualifications for the debates, for supposedly "nationalizing the primary process and taking the power of democracy away from the engaged, thoughtful citizens of Iowa and New Hampshire."
In a statement announcing his departure from the race, the North Dakota governor said that it was not the RNC's mission to reduce competition and restrict fresh ideas by narrowing the field. He added that the arbitrary criteria give unfair advantages for candidates from major media markets on the coasts versus America's Heartland, as per the Associated Press.
Burgum added that none of the RNC's criteria for the debates relate to the qualifications that are related to actually doing the job of the president of the United States. A spokesperson for the RNC did not immediately respond to requests for comments regarding the governor's remarks.
At the time when the North Dakota governor launched his 2024 presidential campaign, he was not widely known nationally. He touted his priorities of energy, the economy, and national security as well as his small-town roots and leadership of the sparsely-populated state.
He was able to participate in the first two Republican debates after meeting donor requirements of the RNC by offering $20 Biden Relief Cards in exchange for $1 donations. It was a jab at rising inflation rates during President Joe Biden's term as leader.
In his statement, Burgum said that their decision to run for president came from a place of caring deeply about every single citizen of the U.S. as well as a mission to re-establish trust in the country's leadership and institutions of democracy, according to CNN.
Qualifying for the Republican Debate
Burgum funded his campaign using millions of dollars from his own money in order to boost his candidacy. However, he lacked the national name recognition that some of his rivals have and his appearances in the first two Republican debates failed to raise his profile.
In the third debate, he did not qualify due to the RNC raising the polling thresholds. In August, prior to the first debate, the North Dakota governor ruptured his Achilles tendon while playing a game of pickup basketball with his staff. Despite his injury, he appeared onstage along with seven other GOP presidential hopefuls.
Burgum contributed more than $12 million to fund his presidential campaign and was able to receive $19.2 million in total ad support. That number was a total from his own campaign as well as the Best of America PAC. The governor's campaign itself spent an additional $6 million on advertising, said Politico.
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