2023-11-01 21:59:00
Published
Nov. 1, 2023, 4:59 p.m. ET
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has not yet qualified for the third GOP primary debate next week in Miami, the only candidate to admit they are on the outside looking in seven days out from the showdown.
The 67-year-old made it to the stage in Milwaukee and Simi Valley, Calif., but hadn’t racked up enough support in qualifying polls as of Wednesday to meet the steeper requirements for the South Florida debate.
Burgum still needs to achieve at least 4% in one national poll and one early state poll, spokesperson Lance Trover told The Post.
The governor reached 3.2% in a national poll conducted by the Trafalgar Group in mid-September, and achieved 3% in a Des Moines Register Iowa poll of likely Republican caucus-goers published Monday.
The Republican National Committee mandates that candidates receive the 4% benchmark in either two recognized national polls or one national poll and one poll from two of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, the first four states in the Republican nominating calendar.
Burgum has largely self-financed his campaign using millions from his multi-million dollar net worth and has scoffed at calls for him to drop out.Getty Images
Burgum has until Nov. 6 to get to 4% in the qualifying polls.Getty Images
All candidates also need to have at least 70,000 unique donors from a minimum of 20 states or territories and at least 200 donors in each of those 20 jurisdictions.
Five candidates say they have met those criteria for the Nov. 8 debate: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, biotech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).
The RNC is expected to confirm the full debate lineup Monday night.
Doug Burgum speaks during the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Annual Leadership Summit.Getty Images
Former Vice President Mike Pence dropped out of the race on Saturday and former President Donald Trump plans to skip the debate to host a rival rally in Florida.
The Best of America PAC, which is backing Burgum’s White House bid, expressed optimism about his showing in the polls despite the low numbers, pointing to his gain of one percentage point in the Iowa poll — the same increase Trump received.
“While other candidates are losing steam and being forced to abandon their campaigns,” said PAC spokesperson Emily Benavides. “Governor Burgum continues to steadily rise in early state polling thanks to our effective TV and voter contact program.”
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