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 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.

Mary Steurer, North Dakota Monitor, and Mark Olalde, ProPublica This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with the North Dakota Monitor. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published.

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 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,