Doug Burgum
Secretary of the Interior
Douglas James Burgum was born in August 1956 in Arthur, North Dakota. He earned an undergraduate degree from North Dakota State University. He received an M.B.A. from Stanford University. He started a chimney-sweep business as an undergrad.
Burgum was a management consultant at a firm in Chicago before helping to launch the accounting software company, Great Plains Software. He became vice president of marketing for the business. He acquired a controlling interest and eventually took the company public. He sold the company in 2001 to Microsoft and became an executive in its business solutions group.
Burgum then co-founded a venture capital company connected to technology and science. He also founded a real-estate development firm.
Burgum was elected governor of North Dakota in 2016. He was reelected in 2020. In 2023, he ran for president rather than seek a third gubernatorial term. He suspended his campaign after failing to qualify for the third debate for the national party rules for donations and polling.
President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Burgum to be Secretary of the Interior in November 2024. The Senate confirmed him on January 30, 2025, and he was sworn in the following day.
Burgum is married to Kathryn Helgaas. He is divorced from Karen Stoker with whom he has three children.
In the News…
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that a review of the last-minute approval by former President Biden’s administration of the Lava Ridge Wind Project has exposed legal and statutory issues. The project had proposed to cover 57,447 acres with 231 wind turbines.
Secretary Burgum stated, “The Department is putting the brakes on deficient, unreliable energy and putting the American people first.”
He continued, “By reversing the Biden administration’s thoughtless approval of the Lava Ridge Wind Project, we are protecting tens of thousands of acres from harmful wind policy while shielding the interests of rural Idaho communities. This decisive action defends the American taxpayer, safeguards our land, and averts what would have been one of the largest, most irresponsible wind projects in the nation.”
Idaho Governor Brad Little had signed an executive order in January directing state agencies to cooperate with President Trump’s administration as the review was conducted. There has been unified opposition from Idahoans from the project’s inception, as state officials were barely consulted during the original project review.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Secretary Burgum today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Doug Burgum
Secretary of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
