PROFESSIONAL BIO:
U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp is the first female Senator elected from North Dakota. She took the oath of office on January 3, 2013.
Senator Heitkamp grew up in a large family in the small town of Mantador, North Dakota. Alongside her six brothers and sisters, she learned the value of hard work and responsibility, leading her to choose a life of public service.
Already in her short time in the U.S. Senate, Senator Heitkamp has quickly become a proven senator who works across the aisle to fight for North Dakotans. Senator Heitkamp has personally shown that if senators work together, it can lead to real solutions.
As a former director of the one-of-a-kind Dakota Gasification synfuels plant, Senator Heitkamp has a long record of serving as a champion for North Dakota’s energy jobs and industry. She is continuing those efforts in the Senate, working to responsibly harness North Dakota’s energy resources, promoting the state’s all-of-the-above energy plan which she believes should serve as a model for the entire country, and fighting to lift the 40-year old ban on exporting U.S. crude oil.
Senator Heitkamp sits on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, where she has been fighting for North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers to make sure they get the resources and support they need to continue to feed North Dakota, the country, and the world. Starting on day one in the Senate, she helped write, negotiate, and pass a long-term, comprehensive Farm Bill which Congress passed in 2014.
As a member on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Senator Heitkamp is continuing her pledge -- from her time as North Dakota’s Attorney General -- to stand up for Native American families and make sure the U.S. government lives up to its treaty and trust responsibilities. The first bill she introduced in the Senate would better protect Native children and make sure they have the economic and educational tools to thrive.
Through her leadership on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Senator Heitkamp has pushed to reform the nation’s housing finance system, make housing more affordable, address North Dakota’s housing shortage, and provide relief to small financial institutions.
On the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Senator Heitkamp serves as the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management. Through her work on the Committee, Senator Heitkamp has pushed to provide training and resources for first responders, improve mail delivery and service in rural communities, help recruit and retain a strong federal workforce, and cut red tape to make the federal government more efficient and effective for North Dakota families and small businesses.
Senator Heitkamp also serves on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship where she has worked to support the small businesses and startups throughout North Dakota and rural communities. She introduced a bill to address challenges facing startups in North Dakota, as well as other rural states and small cities, by helping them get the early stage funding they need to grow their businesses.
Senator Heitkamp currently serves on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, Committee on Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs, Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, and the Committee on Indian Affairs.
Senator Heitkamp grew up in a large family in the small town of Mantador, North Dakota. Alongside her six brothers and sisters, she learned the value of hard work and responsibility, leading her to choose a life of public service.
Already in her short time in the U.S. Senate, Senator Heitkamp has quickly become a proven senator who works across the aisle to fight for North Dakotans. Senator Heitkamp has personally shown that if senators work together, it can lead to real solutions.
As a former director of the one-of-a-kind Dakota Gasification synfuels plant, Senator Heitkamp has a long record of serving as a champion for North Dakota’s energy jobs and industry. She is continuing those efforts in the Senate, working to responsibly harness North Dakota’s energy resources, promoting the state’s all-of-the-above energy plan which she believes should serve as a model for the entire country, and fighting to lift the 40-year old ban on exporting U.S. crude oil.
Senator Heitkamp sits on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, where she has been fighting for North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers to make sure they get the resources and support they need to continue to feed North Dakota, the country, and the world. Starting on day one in the Senate, she helped write, negotiate, and pass a long-term, comprehensive Farm Bill which Congress passed in 2014.
As a member on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Senator Heitkamp is continuing her pledge -- from her time as North Dakota’s Attorney General -- to stand up for Native American families and make sure the U.S. government lives up to its treaty and trust responsibilities. The first bill she introduced in the Senate would better protect Native children and make sure they have the economic and educational tools to thrive.
Through her leadership on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Senator Heitkamp has pushed to reform the nation’s housing finance system, make housing more affordable, address North Dakota’s housing shortage, and provide relief to small financial institutions.
On the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Senator Heitkamp serves as the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management. Through her work on the Committee, Senator Heitkamp has pushed to provide training and resources for first responders, improve mail delivery and service in rural communities, help recruit and retain a strong federal workforce, and cut red tape to make the federal government more efficient and effective for North Dakota families and small businesses.
Senator Heitkamp also serves on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship where she has worked to support the small businesses and startups throughout North Dakota and rural communities. She introduced a bill to address challenges facing startups in North Dakota, as well as other rural states and small cities, by helping them get the early stage funding they need to grow their businesses.
Senator Heitkamp currently serves on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, Committee on Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs, Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, and the Committee on Indian Affairs.
RECENT LEGISLATION & ACTIVITY:
- April 28th, 2017 | Heitkamp Urges New Defense Secretary to Quickly Replace Aging UH-1N Helicopters
- April 27th, 2017 | Heitkamp Fights to Hold Russia Accountable at U.S. Senate Banking Committee Hearing on Sanctions
- April 26th, 2017 | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funding for Early Education & Educational Research
- April 20th, 2017 | Heitkamp: Our Girls Participating in STEM Education Today are the Face of Tomorrow’s UAS Industry
- April 20th, 2017 | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funding to Combat Opioid Abuse
- April 19th, 2017 | President Signs Heitkamp Bill to Extend, Reform VA Choice Program
- April 18th, 2017 | Heitkamp Announces Federal Funding for Fargo Head Start
- April 14th, 2017: Heitkamp Stands Up for Student Loan Borrowers Working in Public Service
- April 12th, 2017: Heitkamp Announces Federal Funding for ND Firefighter’s Association
- April 6th, 2017: Heitkamp Underscores Need to Protect, Build Retirement Security at her First Subcommittee Hearing in Senate Banking Committee
PREVIOUS OFFICES HELD:
28th Attorney General of North Dakota | 1992 - 2000
20th Tax Commissioner of North Dakota | 1986 - 1992
20th Tax Commissioner of North Dakota | 1986 - 1992
WHY THIS SEAT IS VULNERABLE & WHAT WE HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH:
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Heitkamp is in a challenging position. She is a Democrat in a red state, that has increasingly grown more conservative over the last decade. North and South Dakota used to have four Democratic senators, and now Heitkamp is the last Democratic senator standing.
Consequently, she - much like Joe Manchin - have had to commit to a fine balancing act of supporting Democratic positions, balanced with the more conservative inclinations of her state. This has put her out of line with the more progressive growth of national Democrats outside of North Dakota. Our hope is to reinforce that despite her sporadic conservative position, Heitkamp is still an asset in her position, and the best hopes for Democrats to retain the seat. While she currently ranks as the third most conservative Senator amongst Senate Democrats, she has a consistent 100% ranking with Planned Parenthood, NARAL, Human Rights, American Library Association, and a 70% with ACLU. She always votes in favor of women’s rights and healthcare, and that’s an important distinction, given the continued assault on healthcare, the appointment of Charmaine Yeost to HHS, and the appointment of Neil Gorsuch to SCOTUS. Our hope is to also reinforce that given the rapid gains of the GOP in North Dakota - Trump won by 36 points, Sen. John Hoeven won reelection by 62 points, and Republican Gov.-elect Doug Burgum won by 58 points - the odds of finding a more progressive Democrat who can successfully replace Heitkamp, are slim to none. |
2016 North Dakota Presidential Election Results by County
Source: Politico |
PERSONAL BIO:
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Heidi Heitkamp learned her North Dakota values of hard work and responsibility growing up in a big family in the small town of Mantador. Her mom was the school cook and custodian, and her dad did all kinds of jobs, from truck driver to seasonal construction.
Heidi brought those small-town values to her career, choosing a life of public service. As a crime-fighting attorney general, she battled drug dealers, protected senior citizens from scams, and worked to keep sexual predators off our streets and away from our kids, even after their prison terms are up. Her reputation as an advocate for the people grew when she served as a leader in the national settlement with the tobacco companies that required them to tell the truth about smoking and health, and pay restitution to the states. That settlement has so far brought $336 million to North Dakota for successful programs to reduce teen smoking and support schools and water supplies throughout the state. Heidi lives in Mandan with her husband, Dr. Darwin Lange. They have two grown children, Ali and Nathan. |
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DISTRICT OFFICESBismarck
Phone: (701) 258-4648 Fargo Phone: (701) 232-8030 Dickinson Phone: (701) 225-0974 Grand Forks Phone: (701) 775-9601 Minot Phone: (701) 852-0703 |
