Burgum's a relatively non-ideological guy, isn't he? His background isn't in politics, and IIRC he won his first primary against far more conservative candidates. IIRC he got a lot of heat for not taking a position on abortion, even.
I remember watching a Bill Gates interview (on CNN I believe) a few months about the pandemic and efforts to fight the spread of the virus. He mentioned talking to "his friend" the Governor of North Dakota about work being done there (and if I remember correctly Gates referenced North Dakota's COVID-19 efforts in a positive light). If you're a Republican politician and personal friends with Bill Gates you're definitely able to put aside ideology, at least among billionaire pals.
Once Gates' mandatory sissification vaccine comes out next summer, we'll all be Burgum supporters.