Heidi Heitkamp

Heidi Heitkamp
United States Senator from North Dakota
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2013 Serving with John Hoeven
Preceded by	Kent Conrad
28th Attorney General of North Dakota
In office December 15, 1992 – December 15, 2000
Governor	Ed Schafer
Preceded by	Nicholas Spaeth
Succeeded by	Wayne Stenehjem
20th Tax Commissioner of North Dakota
In office December 2, 1986 – December 15, 1992
Governor	George Sinner
Preceded by	Kent Conrad
Succeeded by	Robert Hanson
Personal details
Born	Mary Kathryn Heitkamp (1955-10-30) October 30, 1955 Breckenridge, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Darwin Lange
Children	2
Alma mater	University of North Dakota Lewis and Clark College
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Mary Kathryn "Heidi" Heitkamp (born October 30, 1955) is the junior United States Senator from North Dakota, in office since 2013, and a member of the North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party. She was the 28th North Dakota Attorney General, serving from 1993 to 2001, and State Tax Commissioner from 1989 to 1993.

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 narrowly defeated Republican Congressman Rick Berg on November 6, 2012, in that year's closest Senate race, with Berg conceding 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

Heitkamp was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota, the fourth of seven children of Doreen LaVonne (née Berg) and Raymond Bernard Heitkamp. Her father was of German descent, while her mother is of half Norwegian and half German ancestry. 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. She next worked for 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, which resulted in the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. This provides for the tobacco companies to pay the state funds to be applied to health care costs.

2000 gubernatorial election

Main article: North Dakota gubernatorial election, 2000

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.

Business career (2001–2011)

Heitkamp served as the director of Dakota Gasification Company's Great Plains Synfuels Plant from 2001 to 2012. Her brother, Joel, is a radio talk-show host and former North Dakota state senator. Heitkamp has occasionally filled in for her brother as host of his program, News and Views, which is broadcast on Clear Channel stations in North Dakota.

U.S. Senate

2012 election

Main article: United States Senate election in North Dakota, 2012

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, she announced that she would seek the open seat. She vowed 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. She 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. Upon winning the election, Heitkamp became North Dakota's second female U.S. Senator. She serves alongside her former gubernatorial opponent John Hoeven.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
  • Subcommittee on Commodities, Markets, Trade and Risk Management
  • Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Jobs, Rural Economic Growth and Energy Innovation (Chair)
• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Economic Policy
  • Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
  • Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
  • Subcommittee on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Programs and the Federal Workforce
• Committee on Indian Affairs
• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Political positions

Health care

Heitkamp has said that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains "good and bad" and "it needs to be fixed." She criticized her Senate opponent Rick Berg for wanting to repeal the law, citing concerns about insurance companies denying coverage to children with preexisting conditions. Berg and the NRSC criticized Heitkamp for offering unqualified support for the health care law until she ran for the Senate in 2011, citing footage of her at a 2010 rally where she called the bill "a legacy vote" without any criticism of it.

During the United States federal government shutdown of 2013, Heitkamp criticized Republican attempts to use the Continuing Appropriations Resolution as "a vehicle to legislate other issues," such as the defunding of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and a delay of its individual mandate. Heitkamp was one of 14 members of the bipartisan Senate group that negotiated the compromise that was the basis of the eventual deal to end the shutdown. During the government shutdown in 2013 Heitkamp donated about $8,000 of her salary to North Dakota charities that support veterans, provide healthcare supplies to those that cannot afford them, and raise Breast Cancer awareness.

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 did not specifically endorse 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. She was Climate Hawks Vote's lowest-rated Democratic senator on climate leadership in the 113th Congress and remains among the lowest in 2015.

Same-sex marriage

On April 5, 2013, Heitkamp announced her support of same-sex marriage, along with fellow Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly (D-Indiana), who entered the Senate the same time Heitkamp did. Both are Roman Catholics.

Gun control

On April 11, 2013, Heitkamp explained in an interview that she intended to vote against the Manchin-Toomey amendment introduced in the Senate after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which would have amended the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to expand background checks to gun shows and internet purchases. Heitkamp stated, "I'm going to represent my state. ... in the end it's not what any other senator believes. It's about what the people of North Dakota believe."

Personal life

Heitkamp is married to Darwin Lange, a family practitioner. They reside in Mandan and are the parents of two adult children, Ali and Nathan.

Electoral history

North Dakota U.S. Senate Election 2012

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Heidi Heitkamp	161,337	50.24
	Republican	Rick Berg	158,401	49.32

North Dakota Gubernatorial Election 2000

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	John Hoeven	159,255	55.03
	Democratic	Heidi Heitkamp	130,144	44.97

External links

• Senator Heidi Heitkamp official U.S. Senate site
• Heidi Heitkamp at DMOZ
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Project Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at The Library of Congress

Political offices
Preceded by Kent Conrad	Tax Commissioner of North Dakota 1986–1992	Succeeded by Robert Hanson
Preceded by Nicholas Spaeth	Attorney General of North Dakota 1992–2000	Succeeded by Wayne Stenehjem
Party political offices
Preceded by Lee Kaldor	Democratic nominee for Governor of North Dakota 2000	Succeeded by Joe Satrom
Preceded by Kent Conrad	Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from North Dakota (Class 1) 2012	Most recent
United States Senate
Preceded by Kent Conrad	U.S. Senator (Class 1) from North Dakota 2013–present Served alongside: John Hoeven	Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by Deb Fischer	United States Senators by seniority 85th	Succeeded by Ed Markey