Emails obtained by The Associated Press reveal Doug Burgum as North Dakota governor catered to the whims of oil and gas executives while leveraging those connections to expand his political profile

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was confirmed by the Senate Thursday to lead President Trump’s Department of the Interior. Burgum, 68, received bipartisan support from senators, who voted 78-18 to approve his Cabinet nomination.

The former governor of North Dakota is promoting President Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda and wants more oil, gas and mining on public lands.

Immediately after Doug Burgum's bipartisan confirmation for Interior Secretary, North Dakota's political leaders praised the vote, calling him the "right leader at the right time."

The Senate confirmed Doug Burgum as interior secretary late Thursday after President Donald Trump tapped the North Dakota billionaire to spearhead the Republican administration’s ambitions to boost fossil fuel production. The vote was 79-18. More than half of Senate Democrats joined all 53 Republicans in voting for Burgum.

Doug Burgum, a billionaire software industry entrepreneur, was confirmed as President Donald Trump’s new interior secretary on Thursday. Burgum abandoned his presidential campaign and quickly endorsed Trump in 2023. Trump has directed Burgum to tap into fossil fuel resources in the US, including from public lands.

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum previously told lawmakers that national security and the economy are his top priorities for leading the Interior Department.

The Senate voted Wednesday evening to close debate on Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department. The former North Dakota governor is likely to be confirmed easily after the 78-20 cloture vote, with 25 Democrats voting in favor.