North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who won election in 2012 by 2,936 votes, “is staring down an exceedingly difficult reelection campaign in a state where President Donald Trump is beloved,” says Politico in a story headlined, “North Dakota’s last Democrat?” She’s a rare survivor of the transition of populist-leading North Dakota into a strongly Republican state and the hope of Democrats for reviving the party in the state.
Mentioned early this year as a possible member of President Trump’s cabinet, Heitkamp was the first Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee and first member of the Senate overall to endorse Sonny Perdue for agriculture secretary. She decided against a 2016 race for governor, which was taken as a signal she would run for a second Senate term. Politico quoted the “plain-spoken, stridently moderate” senator as saying she hasn’t made up her mind.
“There is much riding on Heitkamp’s political prospects, which are central to Senate Democrats’ plans to ultimately retake the chamber by 2020—few think any other Democrat could hold the seat,” said Politico. “Heitkamp is plainly chummier with Trump than she was to President Barack Obama. … Her independence, and her closeness to Trump, will be a boon if she does run again. Republicans respect Heitkamp, and Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) said she will enter as the favorite.”
Rep. Kevin Cramer, the state’s at-large congressman since 2013, is the current Republican favorite to run against Heitkamp. Other potential candidates are former Rep. Rick Berg and state Sen. Tom Campbell.