道格·博根从2024年共和党总统初选他的竞选团队周一宣布。
“在这段旅程中的一个又一个社区，我们见证了美国所能提供的最好的东西。我们深深感谢每一个用他们的想法、祈祷、倡导、鼓励和热情支持我们的人，”Burgum在一份声明中说。
这位北达科他州州长在竞选中强调了三个关键问题——经济、能源和国家安全——但未能赢得共和党选民的支持。他在主要候选人名单上排名最后由538的全国平均水平跟踪也没有资格参加最近的初选辩论。
伯根的退出再次缩小了竞争范围，因为佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯和前联合国大使妮基·黑利等竞争对手都将自己视为前总统唐纳德·特朗普的可行替代者，尽管特朗普面临许多法律麻烦和争议，但他仍处于领先地位。(他否认有不当行为。)
在他的声明中，进入政界前曾是软件高管的Burgum说，他开始竞选时“清楚地知道我们的使命:让一位商界领袖和久经考验的州长的声音为美国的最佳利益而战。”
他说，他感到自豪的是，在他看来，他的信息将2024年的对话集中在“总统和行政部门的基本核心责任”上，如外交政策。
高级工作人员发现他将在本周末退出，此前他最后一次访问了新罕布什尔州——在那里，Burgum在他的活动上发言时显得情绪激动。(他将支付他的员工直到12月底。)
周六，在新罕布什尔州阿默斯特举行的县共和党会议上，伯根向满屋子的选民发表了讲话。房间里没有一个人说他们打算投他的票。
人们一致认为，他们对布古姆的钦佩不会转化为对他被提名的支持，因为选民们表示，他们正在寻找像哈利和德桑蒂斯这样的候选人。
总的来说，正如一个人所说的，会员们去缴纳他们的党费，并和“一个值得尊敬的好人”聊天。
在整个总统竞选过程中，伯根从未抨击过反对的候选人，也没有对特朗普的法律战发表过评论。他甚至回避关于文化政治的言论。
相反，Burgum仍然高度关注他的三个核心问题。
他唯一的负面攻击是针对共和党全国委员会的，他在周一重申了这一点，呼吁他们的“俱乐部辩论要求”，即“将初选过程国有化，并将民主的力量从爱荷华州和新罕布什尔州积极参与、有思想的公民手中夺走。”
北达科他州州长道格·伯根于2023年7月28日在得梅因举行的爱荷华州共和党2023年林肯晚宴上向客人发表讲话。
Scott Olson/Getty Images，文件
历届共和党初选都要求候选人在全国民调或某些州的民调中获得越来越高的百分比，并获得越来越多的捐款人。
“他们的辩论标准没有一个与实际做总统工作的资格相关，”Burgum认为。
州长有一种失败者的心态，这种心态一直持续到他竞选的最后几周。
“美国喜欢失败者，”Burgum在10月份说道。“我们每天、每周都在获得动力。”
为了登上第一场辩论的舞台，从商业生涯中独立致富的Burgum向5万名向他的竞选活动捐赠1美元的人赠送了20美元的礼品卡。
辩论前一天晚上，博根撕裂了跟腱。在担任北达科他州州长和参加总统竞选期间，他整天都在养伤。
在第二场辩论中，Burgum在广告购买和另一个礼品卡赠品上投入了更多的钱，以达到RNC的捐款门槛。然而，他没能参加上个月的辩论。
尽管如此，他对未来表示乐观，并在周一表示:“我们仍然致力于通过将美国向(总统)乔·拜登的相反方向转变180度，来改善每个美国人的生活。”
“我们竞选总统的决定来自于对每一个美国人的深切关怀，以及重建对美国领导层和我们民主制度的信任的使命，”布尔根在谈到他和他的妻子凯瑟琳时说。
不清楚伯根的下一步是什么。他可以寻求连任州长，他一再否认有兴趣在另一个共和党政府中担任内阁职务。
“虽然这一初选过程动摇了我对许多媒体机构和政党机构的信任，但它只会加强我对美国的信任，”他在周一的声明中说。“我们的国家不需要完美才能出类拔萃。”
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum drops out of 2024 presidential race
Doug Burgum dropped out ofthe 2024 Republican presidential primary, his campaign announced on Monday.
"In community after community along this journey, we witnessed the best that America has to offer. We are deeply grateful for each and every person who supported us with their ideas, prayers, advocacy, encouragement and enthusiasm," Burgum said in a statement.
The North Dakota governor had emphasized three key issues on the trail -- the economy, energy and national security -- but failed to gain traction with GOP voters. He was polling last on the list of major candidatestracked by 538's national averageand did not qualify for the most recent primary debate.
Burgum's exit narrows the field yet again as rivals like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley pitch themselves as viable alternatives to former President Donald Trump, the front-runner despite his many legal troubles and controversies. (He denies wrongdoing.)
In his statement, Burgum, a former software executive before entering politics, said he began his campaign "clear-eyed about our mission: bring a business leader and proven governor's voice to the fight for the best of America."
He said he was proud of how his messaging had, in his view, focused the 2024 conversation on the "essential, core responsibilities of the President and the executive branch," such as foreign policy.
Senior staff found out he was going to drop out this weekend, following his last visit in New Hampshire -- where Burgum appeared emotional while speaking at his events. (He will pay his staff until the end of December.)
On Saturday, Burgum addressed a room full of voters at a county GOP meeting in Amherst, New Hampshire. There wasn't a single person in the room who said they planned to vote for him.
The consensus remained that their admiration for Bugum would not turn into support for him as the nominee -- as voters instead said they were looking at candidates such as Haley and DeSantis.
Overall, members showed up to pay their party dues and chat with "a respectable and nice guy," as one person put it.
Throughout his presidential campaign, Burgum never bashed an opposing candidate or commented on Trump's legal battles. He even shied away from rhetoric regarding culture politics.
Instead, Burgum remained hyper-focused on his three core issues.
His only negative attacks were directed at the Republican National Committee, which he reiterated on Monday, calling out their "clubhouse debate requirements" for "nationalizing the primary process and taking the power of democracy away from the engaged, thoughtful citizens of Iowa and New Hampshire."
Each successive GOP primary has required candidates to get higher and higher percentages either in national polls or certain state polls, as well as receive more and more donors.
"None of their debate criteria relate to the qualifications related to actually doing the job of the president," Burgum argued.
The governor had an underdog mentality that continued into the final weeks of his campaign.
"America loves an underdog," Burgum said back in October. "We're gaining momentum every day and every week."
In order to get on the first debate stage, Burgum, who is independently wealthy from his business career, gifted $20 gift cards to 50,000 people who gave $1 to his campaign.
The night ahead of that debate, Burgum tore his Achilles tendon. In between his governorship in North Dakota and campaigning in the presidential race, he spent his days rehabbing from his injury.
During the second debate, Burgum poured more money into ad buys and another gift card giveaway to reach the RNC's donor threshold. He failed to make the cut for last month's debate, however.
Still, he projected optimism about the future and said on Monday: "We remain committed to improving the lives of every American by moving America 180 degrees in the opposite direction of [President] Joe Biden."
"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," Burgum said of he and his wife, Kathryn.
It's unclear what is next for Burgum. He is able to seek another term as governor and he repeatedly denied interest in a Cabinet position in another Republican administration.
"While this primary process has shaken my trust in many media organizations and political party institutions, it has only strengthened my trust in America," he said in his statement on Monday. "Our nation doesn't need to be perfect to be exceptional."
