FARGO, N.D. (KXNET) — North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum officially announced he is running for the Republican presidential nomination.

In a political first from North Dakota, Governor Doug Burgum made it official with a room full of supporters, announcing his run for the White House in Fargo.

“My husband, and our governor, the next president of the United States, Doug Burgum,” First Lady Kathryn Burgum said as she introduced the governor.

“I literally bet the farm to turn a small startup into a billion-dollar company in North Dakota,” Gov. Burgum said.

On Wednesday, Burgum was betting big again with a run for the presidency.

“I think it’s fair to call it a long shot. It’s a crowded field with a lot of candidates. Some stronger than others. But he brings a perspective I think is unique to the field. He brings a style that’s a problem-solving style, he’s not a bomb thrower,” stated Senator Jonathan Sickler from Grand Forks said.

But that didn’t mean the governor’s messaging was soft. His slogan is ‘a new leader for a changing economy’, a market Burgum says is failing under President Joe Biden.

“And the Biden administration enacts policies that make us more dependent on foreign oil. That makes no sense. American families are struggling under the weight of record inflation. And the response from Democrats, increase the size of the IRS to target more Americans,” Gov. Burgum said.

In his first campaign speech, Burgum touted his small-town beginnings in Arthur, and how he’d use that work ethic in a grassroots effort to try to win mainstream support across America.

“That’s going to win him over to the national populace. Not fighting or attacking Trump or his fellow candidates, but to run on a ticket,” Burgum supporter Lee Christoferson said. “And that’s the only thing that’ll elect him.”

In all, the governor’s speech lasted just under a half hour, afterward getting some well wishes from many of his supporters. One name you didn’t hear throughout the entire speech: Donald Trump. And supporters say that’s no accident. They say Burgum’s best strategy is to start with a message of positivity and small-town values. And they say he succeeded in doing that in Fargo.

Burgum is expected to make some of his first campaign stops in Iowa and New Hampshire in the next month. The first GOP presidential debate will happen on August 23 in Milwaukee.

To qualify, Burgum will need to bring in 40,000 unique donors from at least 20 states and show up at 1% or higher in three national polls.