Who are Doug Burgum's wives? Donald Trump is all praise for future 'VP'
MIAMI, FLORIDA: Following the first GOP presidential debate held on Wednesday night, August 23, Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota has garnered praise from Donald Trump.
Speaking to Newsmax after his release from the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta on Thursday, August 24, Trump expressed his admiration for Burgum, emphasizing on the Governor's significant role in his previous campaigns.
When questioned by host Greg Kelly about his thoughts on the debate and whether he spotted a potential vice-president among the candidates on stage, Trump's response seemed unequivocal.
Trump said, “I actually like the Governor. I respect him a lot. He was great. He endorsed me twice, the Governor of North Dakota."
He added, "I think he’s got something very good about him. He’s a high-quality person.”
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum married twice
The Governor has been married twice, and his current wife is Kathryn Helgaas, whom he wed in 2016.
Helgaas, a native of Jamestown, North Dakota, holds an impressive academic background, having earned a degree in retail business from Arizona State University and an MBA in human resources from the University of North Texas.
View this post on Instagram
Helgaas' diverse interests encompass reading, fishing, horses, and snowboarding. Her role as First Lady of North Dakota commenced on December 15, 2016, following her husband's swearing-in as Governor.
She has taken up the mission of supporting and developing initiatives to combat the stigma surrounding addiction in North Dakota's communities.
Having been in long-term recovery for 21 years, Helgaas shares her personal journey to destigmatize the conversation around addiction, advocating that it was a chronic disease, not a character flaw.
Before marrying Helgaas, Burgum was married to Karen Stoker. The union lasted from 1991 to 2003 and the former couple shares three children: Jesse, Joe, and Tom.
With second wife, Helgaas, the Governor has not had children of his own.
View this post on Instagram
Donald Trump praises Doug Burgum and Vivek Ramaswamy
Trump's praise during the interview was not confined to Burgum alone. He also lauded entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, whose momentum in the polls is on the rise.
Trump further remarked that Ron Desantis would not hold the position of Governor of Florida if not for his endorsement.
He criticized Asa Hutchinson, stating that he was "wasting space" in the political arena. Trump also insisted that Chris Christie was "booed off stage."
That said, despite the political buzz surrounding Burgum, there remains uncertainty about his participation in the second GOP debate scheduled in California in September.
The ambiguity does not stem from the Achilles tendon injury he sustained earlier in the week, but rather from his inability to meet the qualification criteria set by the Republican National Committee (RNC).
The RNC's stringent requirements state that candidates must gather donations from at least 50,000 individual donors and achieve a 3% poll rating in either two national polls post-August 1, or in one national survey combined with polls from two different early-voting states.
While Burgum's campaign has successfully crossed the donor threshold, he has yet to meet the polling criterion.
Recent polling data from FiveThirtyEight reveals that Burgum has not registered above 1% in any national poll thus far.
Despite these challenges, Burgum boasts an impressive wealth portfolio derived from his ventures as a politician and entrepreneur.
View this post on Instagram
What is Doug Burgum's net worth?
Burgum's financial journey is punctuated by notable milestones. Serving as the board chairman of Atlassian and SuccessFactors, his influence extends beyond politics.
His net worth, as reported by thedistin, is an impressive $1.1B. Among his significant achievements is the establishment of Kilbourne Group, a real-estate development firm that erected Fargo's tallest building in 2013.
Burgum's professional trajectory includes his tenure as the president of Great Plains Software in 1984. The company recorded revenues of approximately $300M in the 1990s, eventually being acquired by Microsoft in 2001.
This transition led to Burgum's appointment as the senior vice-president of Microsoft Business Solutions Group.
Further underscoring his multifaceted career, Burgum has worked with entities like Intelligent InSites and McKinsey & Company.
His commitment to philanthropy was solidified with the launch of the Doug Burgum Family Fund in 2008.