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.

During his confirmation hearing last week before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Burgum portrayed the Interior Department as key to geopolitical power struggles.

The Senate will vote Thursday to confirm Doug Burgum for Interior secretary. The chamber will also take a procedural vote on Chris Wright for the Department of Energy. Lawmakers voted 78-20 on Wednesday evening to wind down debate on Burgum,

Burgum met the threshold for a vote to proceed with a full Senate debate, meaning his final vote for confirmation will be Thursday night or Friday.

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