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Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp faces uphill battle in North Dakota

Posted at 11:50 AM, Nov 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-02 13:48:28-04

North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp is facing the very real possibility that she may have to say good bye to the seat she's held for the past six years.

Heitkamp is a moderate Democrat, who touts her ability to make tough choices and not always voting based on politics. 

One of the hardest moments for her was voting "no" to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

"I think that a lot of people wrote the political obituary after that vote, and it may in fact be that," says Heitkamp.

Voting against Trump was also a risky move, in a state that voted for the president by a 36-point margin.

When asked if that factored into her decision at all, Heitkamp replied, “No, because when you’re making this decision, especially on a Supreme Court justice, there’s no do-overs.”

In recent polls, Heitkamp trailed her opponent, Congressman Kevin Cramer, by double digits.

Having someone always stand with Trump seems to be what some voters in North Dakota are looking for.

“She voted ‘no’ on Kavanaugh; that was a big deal to me,” says one voter.

But there were plenty who would say the opposite.

“I really admired her for doing what was right in her heart, rather than what she was pressured to do,” says another voter. “So, I admire her independence on that.”

Heitkamp hopes that come Tuesday she'll beat the odds and be elected to serve another term.