As indicated by an NBC News analysis, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum appears to have qualified for the second GOP primary debate this Wednesday, September 27, 2023. Although he was initially uncertain about securing a spot in the debate, recent polling data suggests he will, provided the Republican National Committee (RNC) approves the polls.
The RNC’s criteria for qualification include reaching 50,000 unique donors, signing pledges to support the party, and meeting specific polling thresholds. Candidates can qualify by achieving 3% in two national polls or 3% in one national and two polls from early nominating states. Burgum seems to have met the latter criteria with 3.2% in a national poll by Trafalgar Group, 3.2% in an Iowa poll by Trafalgar, and 4% in a New Hampshire poll by Insider Advantage.
Other candidates, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence, have also qualified. However, Burgum’s qualification for the first debate was previously doubtful due to a basketball injury. Despite his late entry into the presidential race and lesser national recognition, he managed to qualify for the first debate through unique donation strategies and a self-funded ad campaign. Burgum has expressed concerns about the influence of political polls on campaign strategies, emphasizing that voters should be the primary decision-makers.
Burgum built his fortune as the founder of Great Plains software, which was sold to Microsoft in 2001 for around $1.1 billion in stock. At the time of the sale, the Microsoft press release announced that over 140,000 businesses used Great Plains Business Solutions.
After leaving Microsoft in 2007, Burgum had several different roles and directorships before being elected governor of North Dakota in 2016.
