North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum likely to run for president

As potential Republican contenders Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott move closer to announcing their entries into the GOP presidential fray, another potential candidate is also likely to be throwing his hat into the ring.

CBS News has learned that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is nearing a decision to launch a dark-horse bid for the White House, and has begun hiring political consultants who have advised previous Republican presidential campaigns, according to GOP sources familiar with the planning.

Though there had been whispers in Republican circles in recent weeks over a possible Burgum candidacy after several GOP consultants had been approached by representatives for the North Dakota governor, his likely decision to move forward with a campaign came after the North Dakota legislative session ended earlier this month.