Heidi Heitkamp

Mary Kathryn “Heidi” Heitkamp (born October 30, 1955) is the junior United States Senator from North Dakota and a member of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party. She served as the 28th North Dakota Attorney General from 1993 to 2001. Heitkamp was an unsuccessful candidate for governor in the 2000 gubernatorial election, losing to John Hoeven. She considered a bid for the Democratic nomination in the 2010 U.S. Senate election to replace retiring Senator Byron Dorgan, but on March 3, 2010, declined the rematch against Hoeven, who was ultimately elected.

In November 2011, Heitkamp declared her candidacy to replace Kent Conrad as U.S. Senator from North Dakota in the 2012 election. She defeated Republican Congressman Rick Berg on November 6, 2012, with Berg conceding his narrow loss the next day. She is North Dakota's second female senator, after Jocelyn Burdick, and the first to be elected.

Early life, education, and early career
The fourth of seven children born to Ray and Doreen Heitkamp, Heitkamp was raised in Mantador, North Dakota. She earned a B.A. from the University of North Dakota in 1977 and a J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School in 1980. In 1980-81, she was an attorney for the United States Environmental Protection Agency. After that, she was hired by the Office of the North Dakota State Tax Commissioner as an attorney.

In 1986, incumbent State Tax Commissioner Kent Conrad decided to retire in order to run for the U.S. Senate. Heitkamp ran for the position and won the statewide election with 66% of the vote against Republican Marshall Moore. She served in that position until 1992.

Attorney General
In 1992, the incumbent North Dakota Attorney General, Democrat Nick Spaeth, decided to retire in order to run for Governor of North Dakota. Heitkamp ran for the position and won with 62% of the vote. In 1996, she won reelection with 64% of the vote.

Heitkamp's best-known achievement as Attorney General of North Dakota was to lead the state's legal efforts against tobacco companies that resulted in the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.

2000 gubernatorial election
In 2000 incumbent Republican Governor Ed Schafer decided not to seek a third term. Heitkamp ran and was unopposed in the primary. On the Republican side, John Hoeven, CEO of Bank of North Dakota, also ran unopposed. During her campaign for governor it was announced that Heitkamp had been diagnosed with breast cancer, which is now in remission. Hoeven defeated her 55% to 45%. Heitkamp won 12 of the state's 53 counties.

In between campaigns (2001-2011)
Heitkamp served as the director of Dakota Gasification Company's Great Plains Synfuels Plant from 2001 to 2012.

Her brother, Joel Heitkamp, is a radio talk-show host and former North Dakota state senator. Heidi Heitkamp occasionally filled in for her brother as host of his program, News and Views, which is broadcast on Clear Channel stations in North Dakota.

2012 U.S. Senate election
In January 2011, incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Kent Conrad announced his intent to retire instead of seeking a fourth full term in 2012. On November 8, 2011, Heitkamp announced she would seek the open seat. She vows to be "an independent voice."

Heitkamp was attacked in commercials for accepting campaign contributions from a trial lawyer, Jack McConnell, Jr., assigned by her to help North Dakota implement its settlement with tobacco companies when she served as state attorney general. Heitkamp released an ad to respond to these allegations.

Heitkamp won the November 6, 2012, Senate election by 2,994 votes, less than 1% of the ballots cast. Berg conceded the race the next day. If he had not, the race could have been subject to a "demand recount" under North Dakota law, which permits candidates to demand a recount if they lose an election by more than 0.5% but less than 2% of the vote cast for the candidate receiving the most votes for the office sought.

Health care
Heitkamp has said the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains “good and bad” and “it needs to be fixed.” She criticized Rick Berg for wanting to repeal the law, citing concerns about insurance companies denying coverage to children with preexisting conditions. Berg and the NRSC argue that Heitkamp has altered her position on the health care law, citing footage of her at a 2010 rally where she called the bill “a legacy vote.”

Spending
Heitkamp said she would support a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution "with exceptions" if elected. Heitkamp said such exceptions would include wartime spending, Social Security, Medicare, and a ban on tax cuts for those making more than $1 million per year.

Taxes
Heitkamp announced in a campaign press release in 2012 that she supports the Buffett Rule. Heitkamp supports implementing the Buffett Rule via the Paying a Fair Share Act, which would require those making a gross income of $1,000,000 or more to pay at least a 30% federal tax rate.

Filibuster Reform
Heitkamp said she supports reforming the filibuster in the United States Senate, but has not specifically endorsed the Merkley/Udall/Harkin proposal for doing so.

Energy
Heitkamp said she supports the Keystone XL pipeline because it will create jobs, decrease America's dependence on foreign oil from the Middle East, and help drive down the national debt. She also said many who oppose hydraulic fracturing have been exposed to "junk science" and do not know what it really is.

Career timeline

 * Attorney, Environmental Protection Agency, 1980–81
 * Attorney, Office of the North Dakota State Tax Commissioner, 1981–86
 * North Dakota Tax Commissioner, 1986–92
 * North Dakota Attorney General, 1992–2000
 * Director, Dakota Gas, 2001–2012
 * United States Senator, 2013-present.

Electoral history
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