Pro-Burgum group planning $1.4M ad push to promote presidential campaign

A super PAC supporting North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s (R) presidential run is planning a $1.4 million advertising push to promote his campaign. 

Best of America PAC said in a release on Tuesday that it is launching a national television and radio ad campaign that will start airing on Wednesday. The ads highlight Burgum’s record in business building a billion-dollar company and as governor pushing for tax cuts and term limits for state officials.

“Governor Burgum is the conservative leader our country needs to unlock the best of America,” Best of America spokesperson Emily Benavides said. “Governor Doug Burgum’s message is resonating in states like Iowa and New Hampshire and we look forward to his debut on the debate stage.” 

The ads are being released as Burgum’s campaign announced that he qualified to participate in the first GOP primary debate next month. He announced last week that his campaign met the Republican National Committee’s fundraising requirement for participants to obtain 40,000 individual donors, including at least 200 from 20 states or territories. 

The campaign said in a release on Tuesday that it also reached the polling requirement of having at least 1 percent in three national polls or in two national polls and two out of four of the early-voting states — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. 

The Washington Post first reported the super PAC’s plan. 

A source familiar with Best of America told The Hill that the group had originally planned a $5.5 million ad buy to support Burgum but reduced it to $1.4 million to conserve resources after he officially qualified for the debate. 

“As president, Doug Burgum will unleash American energy and end [President] Biden’s inflation. He’ll secure the border to stop the flow of illegal drugs, and Burgum will rebuild our military to win the cold war with China,” the radio ad states. 

Burgum adopted a fundraising strategy ahead of qualifying for the debate in which he would give a $20 Visa or Mastercard gift card to the first 50,000 people who donated at least $1 to his campaign — in order to meet the debate criteria.

The super PAC backing Sen. Tim Scott’s (R-S.C.) presidential bid announced last week that it was making a $40 million media reservation for the fall with ads starting to air in September.