Burgum ends his presidential bid after failing to break out of pack

Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, the wealthy former software executive who entered the presidential campaign in June hoping a back-to-basics appeal on the economy would propel him forward, dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination Monday.

Although his personal fortune could have kept his campaign afloat, Burgum’s mild demeanor and resolute focus on three issues, the economy, energy and foreign policy, never caught on with a GOP electorate steeped in the pugilistic flash of former President Donald Trump and the more visceral appeal of social issues.

Burgum said Monday he had shifted the conversation on the campaign trail from divisive social issues to energy and foreign policy. He blamed media inattention and Republican Party rules for his poor showing.

Burgum’s base in remote North Dakota and a short political résumé had given him almost no name recognition when he began the campaign, leaving even his home-state constituents wondering how he might rise in a crowded field behind front-runner Trump.