North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum drops GOP presidential primary bid, slams RNC debate eligibility criteria

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), who had been running in the GOP presidential primary, has suspended campaign.

The Republican National Committee has been requiring candidates to meet certain polling and unique donor thresholds in order to participate in Republican presidential primary debates. Earlier this year, Burgum had offered people a $20 gift card in exchange for a $1 donation, a move that helped boost the number of people who donated to his campaign. He made it into the first two Republican presidential primary debates, but did not get to participate in the third debate, which took place last month.

In a statement, Burgum blasted the RNC's debate eligibility criteria.

"The RNC's clubhouse debate requirements are nationalizing the primary process and taking the power of democracy away from the engaged, thoughtful citizens of Iowa and New Hampshire," Burgum declared. "These arbitrary criteria ensure advantages for candidates from major media markets on the coasts versus America's Heartland. None of their debate criteria relate to the qualifications related to actually doing the job of the president. This effort to nationalize the primary system is unhealthy for the future of the party, especially for a party that proclaims to value leadership from outside of Washington."

"While this primary process has shaken my trust in many media organizations and political party institutions, it has only strengthened my trust in America," Burgum noted.

The fourth Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 presidential election cycle is scheduled to take place on December 6 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and will be moderated by Megyn Kelly, Eliana Johnson, and Elizabeth Vargas.

Former President Donald Trump, who has not been participating in the debates, has been trouncing the rest of the Republican primary field in polls.

Correction: The original version of this story mistakenly stated that Trump "has been participating in the debates," but should have said that Trump has not been participating in the debates.

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