[7][better source needed] On June 21, 2023, Politico reported that Burgum hired Mike Zolnierowicz, former Chief of Staff to Bruce Rauner, as his campaign manager.

[8] Burgum has defended his entry into an already-crowded race with the assertion that additional competition will be good for the party, while highlighting his Midwestern roots and history of working in manual labor positions before becoming wealthy in the technology sector.

[13] Burgum attended the first debate on August 23, 2023, despite injuring his Achilles tendon the day prior while playing a basketball game with his campaign staff.

[21] As the most marginal candidate, Burgum was not frequently called on by the debate moderators, and only had eight minutes and four seconds of speaking time; however, he interjected himself to answer questions even if he wasn't asked.

[22] Notably Burgum focused on Biden's EV policy, stating that his outsourcing of battery production to China, and shift away from traditional automobiles will only exacerbate problems like the UAW strike.

[25] In an effort to boost his campaign, Burgum doubled down on $20 gift cards for a $1 donation, a ploy which helped him secure a spot on the first and second debate stage.

[33] Our decision to run for President came from a place of caring deeply about every American and a mission to re-establish trust in America's leadership and our institutions of democracy.

[37] On 7 November 2023, New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu called on Burgum, alongside Asa Hutchinson to drop out of the race stating that the two have no path to victory.

Burgum then touted his economic reforms in North Dakota and criticized Joe Biden's foreign policy concluding that the voters of Iowa and New Hampshire determine the nominee, not the Republican National Convention (RNC).

[34] In December 2023 Burgum announced that he would not accept a position in Donald Trump's cabinet should he win the 2024 election, instead stating that he plans on returning to the private sector after his term as governor expires.

This was thanks to a series of ultra-wealthy donors backing Burgum, including: First International Bank CEO Steve Stenehjem, actor Josh Duhamel, New York Jets lineman Connor McGovern, Coca-Cola CEO J. Frank Harrison III, eBay chairman Thomas J. Tierney, Milwaukee Bucks owner Michael Fascitelli and Microsoft executives Patrick Meenan and Ryan Kruizenga.

Forbes estimated that his net worth at the start of his campaign to be ~$100 million, making him the third wealthiest Republican candidate behind just Donald Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy, who are both billionaires.

[53] These pipelines would transport excess Carbon dioxide captured from ethanol production plants in Iowa to facilities in North Dakota to store them deep underground.

[54] When confronted about the issue at a rally in Iowa, Burgum changed his position saying that he is fervently against eminent domain but insisted that carbon-capture was good for the economy and the environment, and that it would allow the continual use of traditional internal combustion automobiles indefinitely.

[55] Burgum also criticized the Biden administration for allowing the transfer of $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets in September in exchange for the release of five prisoners from Iran.

[58] Shortly afterwards, at an event in New Hampshire, Burgum stated that he believed addiction to be the root of most of America's problems, from crime, homelessness, and mental health.

He has stated that if elected president he would overhaul the reimbursement systems for mental health care and would find a place for the private sector to get involved in funding solutions for substance use disorders.

As governor, Burgum shifted some of North Dakota's prisons to look more akin to a mental health institution, a policy he stated he would attempt to emulate at a federal level.