North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum dropped out of the Republican presidential nomination race Monday, becoming the latest candidate to acknowledge the challenges of trying to overtake former President Donald Trump for the GOP’s nod.
The exit by the wealthy former software entrepreneur from a heavily Republican state follows earlier departures by former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. Trump holds a commanding lead in national polls, as well as those in the states that will hold the first nomination balloting in January.
Burgum, 67 years old and known for a casual style and noninflammatory rhetoric, was never a significant presence in the race. He participated in the first and second primary debates in the late summer and early fall, but failed to qualify for subsequent debates because he didn’t meet the Republican National Committee’s polling and fundraising participation requirements.
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