Iowa Talking Points with Doug Burgum
September 29, 2023
Doug Burgum
Governor of North Dakota, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Doug Burgum is the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and former two-term Governor of North Dakota. A software entrepreneur who sold his company to Microsoft, Burgum brought a business-first approach to state government before entering the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Known for his focus on energy independence, agricultural policy, and technology-driven governance, Burgum withdrew from the presidential race in December 2023 and endorsed Donald Trump. He was confirmed as Secretary of the Interior in January 2025.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum joined Jeff Stein and Rob Mudd at Mudd Studio 5 in Waterloo, Iowa for one of Iowa Talking Points' longest and most wide-ranging conversations — running over an hour and forty minutes in front of a live studio audience. Burgum — a tech entrepreneur turned governor who ran for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination — brought a Midwest perspective to topics including American energy dominance, agricultural policy, rural economic development, and what pragmatic conservative governance looks like in practice. Burgum later withdrew from the presidential race and was appointed U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Trump.
