Jill Schramm/MDN Gov. Doug Burgum and First Lady Kathryn Burgum are pictured here at Recovery Reinvented at Minot State University on Oct. 6, 2023. Burgum announced Monday he would not be seeking a third term as governor. 

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has announced he will not be seeking a third term as governor, leading to reflection throughout the state and speculation regarding potential shakeups to the election landscape in 2024.

“It’s been such an honor the last seven years to serve the state that we love so much. It’s been a truly profound and rewarding incredible experience, and because of that it was a hard decision for us, a heartfelt decision not to seek a third term.” Burgum said at a press conference on Monday in Bismarck. “But I’m happy to report the state is incredibly well positioned. Our population has never been higher. Our financial position has never been stronger. The opportunities have never been greater.”

Burgum said his desire to spend more time with family partially motivated the decision, and he hopes to seek out opportunities in the private sector. Burgum’s announcement came after his decision to stop pursuing the Republican presidential nomination. At the press conference Burgum said he was still interested in pursuing public office in the future, but demurred on any speculation on a potential position on former President Donad Trump’s cabinet should he win the election in the fall.

Burgum will finish out the last 328 days of his term, which he expects to be a “very active last year” as the state’s executive. He said he planned to work hard on preparing the budget for the 2025-2027 biennium to best prepare them to fulfill his administration’s priorities in behavioral health, tribal relations and continued economic growth.

“No one could ever say Doug Burgum isn’t his own person. He has served North Dakota very well. He has earned the right to take a short or long break or seek a promotion. Whatever it is, he will do it his way, and he will be successful at it. It will be for a cause bigger than himself. For that, I am grateful.” Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, said in a statement.

Burgum’s decision came as a surprise to many in the state, including state Senate Majority Leader David Hogue of Minot who got the news while he was sitting for a radio interview.

“I really enjoyed working with him. He came from the private sector like his two predecessors. He very much looked at the big picture and big picture problems. It was important to him to pay attention to outcomes and not personalities,” Hogue said. “I was really surprised to read that. It’s going to be a significant change. It opens things up quite a bit, doesn’t it. There’s a number of people who have expressed interest and we’ll have to see who wants to run.”

The question of who will seek to be Burgum’s replacement on the Republican ticket in the fall is an open one, which GOP District 40 Chairman Jay Lundeen said could result in a shuffling throughout state government.

“I honestly was still a little surprised. I thought he would run again. It opens some doors for some of our more conservative folks to have the opportunity to serve at those higher levels. It could lead to some musical chairs. All of a sudden you have a house seat open.” Lundeen said.

Lt. Gov. Tammie Miller is reportedly interested. Other names floated included the likes of Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Congressman Rep. Kelly Armstrong. Wrigley said in interviews he is focused on finishing out his term after being elected in 2022, and Armstrong has not yet confirmed his plans to seek re-election after previously flirting with a run to the governor’s office in interviews during Burgum’s presidential run.

“Pundits like to say North Dakota is a flyover country, but that has never stopped Governor Doug Burgum from seeing the potential we have and pushing hard to achieve it. He has always known there is an important place for us on the national stage.” Armstrong said in a statement, “Kjersti and I are forever thankful for the leadership he and First Lady Kathryn Burgum have shown guiding North Dakota, and we congratulate him on two successful terms. Our state is better off because Governor Burgum stepped up to serve.”

So far two candidates have announced their intention to run for Armstrong’s house seat: Trygve Hammer from Velva on the Dem-NPL ticket, and former Bismarck legislator Rick Becker who most recently ran as an independent candidate.

The North Dakota Democratic-NPL has not seen any hopefuls announce their intentions to pursue the vacant governor’s seat. The Party issued a statement reacting to Burgum’s decision, saying it reflected a continued trend within the state GOP field as incumbents decide not to seek office this cycle.

“The extremists that GOP lawmakers have courted and cowed to for some time have now taken the driver’s seat in the Republican Party. We’re going to see many more rabid reactionaries on the Republican ballot this year.” the statement said.