The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Doug Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota, as President Donald Trump's interior secretary. The vote was 79 to 18. Burgum, 68, will lead an agency that guides the use of 500 million acres (202 million hectares) of federal and tribal land,

The Senate voted 79 to 18 to confirm Mr. Burgum, a former governor of North Dakota, as the next interior secretary.

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

The Secretary of the Interior is in charge of federal lands including National Parks, along with several agencies.

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."

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.