Burgum campaign measures popularity against that of Heitkamp

Information released Thursday by a political spokesman for Gov. Doug Burgum indicates the Republican leader is leaning toward a reelection bid and appears interested in how he might match up against former U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, should she be the Democratic candidate.

Heitkamp on Thursday said that's not even a possibility: "I'm not going to be running for governor," she told The Bismarck Tribune.

Burgum spokesman Mike Schrimpf issued “polling numbers … about potential 2020 campaigns,” one of which was Burgum vs. Heitkamp. The poll was paid for by Doug Burgum for North Dakota, his campaigning arm.

Schrimpf told the Tribune that Burgum was not announcing a reelection bid on Thursday, but he added, "I would stand by what the governor previously said about leaning in.”

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