Burgum: 20-point win over Stenehjem not surprising if you were paying attention

Press Release

Doug Burgum has a message for those surprised by the magnitude of what's regarded as his upset victory over Wayne Stenehjem in the Republican gubernatorial primary: You should have paid closer attention to voters.

The breadth of Burgum's 20-point margin of victory in the Tuesday, June 14, primary is widely attributed to crossover votes of Democrats, an explanation Burgum dismissed as "speculation," since it's impossible to measure accurately because North Dakota lacks voter registration.

The crossover theory, the entrepreneur-turned-politician said, fails to give credence to what he views as the obvious reason he beat Stenehjem, who had won many statewide races as attorney general by impressive margins that likely included many Democrats.

"North Dakota voters want a business leader outside the political system," Burgum said in an interview with The Forum three days after the primary in the offices of his Kilbourne Group company, which is active in developing real estate in downtown Fargo. "That's the answer."

The outsider appeal shown in the North Dakota GOP primary contest echoes the preference voters have shown at the national level, Burgum said. "We weren't immune to that."

Yet explanations Burgum sees as obvious have received little discussion among the political chattering classes, he said.

"People, they want to find another explanation," he said.

Because of the broad appeal Burgum demonstrated in the primary vote, some have expressed hopes that the political newcomer will take a more bipartisan approach to governing. Teamwork and collaboration were hallmarks of Burgum's leadership style at Great Plains Software, which became part of Microsoft, his former colleagues have said.

"I'm only looking forward, not backward," he said. "We've said from the get-go we want to serve everyone. I want to be the governor of all the people. The best ideas come from the caldron of the debate."

Elected officials who lose touch with their constituents, just as businesses that fail to keep abreast of the market and their customers, will fail, he said.

"If you're not listening to the people, you're in the echo chamber," which is Burgum's analogy for the conventional storyline that comes to dominate political discussions and campaign reporting.

"If you're not listening to the people," he said, "you're losing."

In the November election, Burgum faces Rep. Marvin Nelson, D-Rolla, the Democrats' nominee. It's a race in which he, as Stenehjem would have been, is considered the heavy favorite. If he wins, Burgum said he will reside full-time in Bismarck, presumably in the governor's residence.

"I fully intend to move to Bismarck upon the inauguration, if successful," he said, adding that his youngest son, Tom, will be a senior next year at Fargo Oak Grove High School, where he will remain.

In office, he said, his agenda would focus on the entwined goals of expanding the economy, addressing the fiscal crisis facing the state budget and bringing more efficient processes to government operations and services. "That's the priority," Burgum said. "That drives everything else."

After Burgum defeated Stenehjem, the party's endorsed candidate who had the support of the overwhelming majority of the state's heavily Republican Legislature, some have speculated lawmakers could move in the next legislative session to end North Dakota's "open" primaries that allow voters to cast ballots for any party. It would require establishing voter registration, making North Dakota the final state to adopt registration requirements for elections.

If such a bill passes, and if Burgum is governor, would he sign it?

"I would want to understand what problem they're trying to solve," he said. "We want to get more people voting, not less. That's good for democracy."

Now that he has the nomination in hand, Burgum said he has time to plan for exiting business roles if elected governor. Burgum declined to discuss details, including whether he would resign from any of the half-dozen corporate boards or partnerships in which he's involved. That includes Kilbourne Group, the firm he founded that has numerous ongoing development projects in downtown Fargo, including a high-rise office, hotel and residential complex about to start construction.

Those plans, including executive succession plans, still are being developed, he said. But he promised to be fully engaged as governor.

"People saw how much I dedicated myself full-time to campaigning," he said. "That should give people an indication of how I intend to govern, and that is that I'm all in."

Burgum noted that he's involved in farming and ranching, which is common for North Dakota governors. Gov. Jack Dalyrmple farms near Casselton, former Gov. George Sinner was involved in a farm partnership in Casselton, and Gov. Art Link had a farm in McKenzie County, to cite recent examples.

Burgum said he would avoid conflicts of interests if any arise because of his business ties, adding that he's been involved in corporate governance for 20 years, subject to strict disclosure requirements.

"I'll be pristine in making sure that if there are conflicts of interest, I'll recuse myself," he said, adding that he wants to "reassure people" that he understands good governance.

Other recent governors, including Ed Schafer and John Hoeven, had extensive business interests before they were elected. The alternative would be elected officials who had no real stake in the state, Burgum said

"I think it's beneficial that I've spent my life building businesses and creating jobs in this state," he said.

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