Published on June 2, 2024, 12:39 am

In a surprising development, North Dakota Governor Doug J. Burgum, who has shown considerable opposition to the conservative agenda in his home state, was under consideration by former President Donald Trump as the GOP’s vice-presidential nominee. This revelation comes from freshman Republican state representative for North Dakota’s 7th District, Matt Heilman.

From his own experience with Burgum in the local Republican caucus, Heilman reveals that many were surprised and skeptical of this choice given Burgum’s perceived liberal tendencies and unpopularity within the party ranks. Despite presenting himself as aligned with Trump’s ideologies during his campaign, Heilman points out that Burgum governed far more liberally than people expected.

He expresses concern over how Governor Burgum would at times veto bills backed by a unified government which is primarily Republican-dominated in North Dakota. This extended to statewide offices held by the GOP, highlighting his influence and power.

Despite this chiefly Republican environment, according to him, Burgum was able to exercise control due to an extensive network of supporters. This led to some vetoes being sustained despite efforts for them to be overturned within their legislature.

Burgum’s political approach also had significant monetary implications; he brought notable financing into North Dakota politics on a scale not witnessed previously. The presence of a “Burgum faction” became apparent in the regional politics as opposed to the grassroots faction.

Heilman recalls the 2022 elections where most grassroots candidates won against Burgum-backed aspirants. The change was propelled by limited conservative candidates standing up for what they deemed right in face of medical mandates and liberalness within higher education institutes.

Representing House-07—a district without any farms—Heilman paints a vivid picture of a pretty urban setting along Missouri river which houses primarily small business owners living mostly Christian lifestyle — indicative of North Dakota’s decidedly more conservative and republican landscape than its neighbouring states.

Notably lacking support for conservatives, Heilman explains that the local Republican party has shown hostility towards MAGA candidates and pro-life bills. A change was witnessed with conservative leadership taking over in the North Dakota GOP in 2023. Nevertheless, he says there is still a lot of work to be done particularly when it comes to legislation aimed at banning pornography in public schools.

Heilman points out controversies where Burgum seemed to surprise conservatives by vetoing legislation aimed at protecting minors from exposure to explicit content and conserving expressed gender pronouns in state and local public offices—measures which were widely supported but ultimately vetoed.

The sidelining of conservative propositions because of an insistence on limited government is something Heilman says needs addressing. Frustration resonated through his stance as he reflected on veto overrides and conformist moderation watering down statutory measures that support republican viewpoints.

For now, though Burgum is not running for a third term due to recent restrictions on term limits, his lieutenant governor Tammy Miller stands for succession. However, according to Heilman, the state’s single congressman, Republican Representative Kelly Armstrong may have brighter prospects at winning the upcoming June 11 primary. Despite criticisms against Armstrong’s previous key congressional votes, Heilman endorses him as a better potential governor than Burgum based on their past interactions.

This narrative puts together layers woven into the real news giving North Dakotan citizens insight derived from trusted news sources who maintain an authentic Christian worldview and makes them privy to their state administration’s inner workings—an organisation largely supposed to represent their consensus.