BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is already on the road to try and win a few votes in his run for the White House.

Burgum officially launched his campaign in Fargo this week and is spending Thursday and Friday making stops in Iowa.

He became the 12th Republican candidate running for president.

Burgum will spend the next two months trying to qualify for the first Republican presidential debate in August.

“I think there’s the possibility he could make that happen,” Sen. Jonathan Sickler from Grand Forks said. “He knows the challenge, he’s faced challenges before and has overcome them.”

“When he first ran for governor, he was way down in the polls, he can do it, if anybody can do it, he can do it,” Jane Cristoferson from Arthur said.

That debate is happening on August 23 in Milwaukee. But first, Burgum would need to gather at least 40,000 donors from at least 20 states.

Burgum is also expected to visit New Hampshire in the next few days.