On heels of opposing Kavanaugh, Heitkamp flexes her independence in new ad
UPDATED: The Heitkamp campaign removed the ad before it ran on television, instead launching another where she explains her decision to vote no on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The ad was re-released on Wednesday, Oct. 10.
ORIGINAL: Sen. Heidi Heitkamp is out with a new campaign ad touting her political independence on the heels of announcing her opposition to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday.
The ad, obtained by NBC News, will begin running on Friday and comes as Heitkamp is being attacked by Republicans for siding with most Democrats and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer in their opposition to Kavanaugh. She is in a tough re-election against Rep. Kevin Cramer, where public polling shows her trailing.
Heitkamp doesn't mention Kavanaugh in the new ad, but criticizes both parties, especially Democrats. “Too many Democrats don’t appreciate our commitment to faith and self-reliance or recognize that we know how to handle guns safely,” she said, looking straight at the camera.
“And while Republicans too often side with the powerful, Democrats too often judge how we live,” she continues. “And both parties do nothing but fight.”
The six-figure ad buy running on cable and broadcast television in North Dakota and on digital is not a traditional end-of-campaign ad, which tend to be negative in nature. Instead, it’s a last minute testament to Heitkamp, who is well liked in the state but must overcome the challenge of running in a solidly Republican state that President Donald Trump won by 36 points and is still very popular.
“Heitkamp was elected to represent the people of North Dakota in the Senate, but she has failed, and a new TV ad can’t erase that,” Jake Wilkins, spokesman for the North Dakota Republican Party, said in a statement.
Heitkamp’s statement announcing her opposition to Kavanaugh says she decided she will vote against him because “last Thursday’s hearing called into question Judge Kavanaugh’s current temperament, honesty, and impartiality. These are critical traits for any nominee to serve on the highest court in our country.”