Heidi Heitkamp (D - ND) Definitely No 2018 election seat
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October 4: I will be voting against confirming U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court ... After doing my due diligence and now that the record is apparently closed, I will vote against his confirmation... I voted for Justice Gorsuch because I felt his legal ability and temperament qualified him to serve on the Supreme Court. Judge Kavanaugh is different. When considering a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, we must evaluate the totality of the circumstances and record before us. In addition to the concerns about his past conduct, 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. (Twitter)
September 28: Heitkamp, who’s facing a tough re-election challenge from Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer, said she agreed with Republican Sen. Jeff Flake’s request for an FBI investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh before a final vote. President Donald Trump later said he ordered the FBI to complete a limited “supplemental investigation” in less than a week. Before the Senate Judiciary Committee voted in favor of Kavanaugh on Friday, Heitkamp said in an interview she was in “the final stages” of making a decision. “This isn’t an easy decision. And honestly, I don’t think it should be easy for anyone,” the Democratic senator said...Heitkamp said Ford was “believable but we have the strong denials by Kavanaugh.” “We’re going to have to weigh the credibility of each one of those statements,” she said. (The Jamestown Sun)
September 28: Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota suggested Friday she may vote no on Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, saying: “There are a lot of lawyers in America who can sit on the court.” Heitkamp said she hasn’t made her final decision, but her comments to the AP provided insight into her thinking. “I think this idea that there’s only one person that can do this job, we all need to recalibrate,” she said following a campaign stop in Grand Forks. She said she found the Thursday Senate Judiciary Committee testimony from both Kavanaugh and his accuser Christine Blasey Ford “compelling.”...But she said “this is not a criminal case” and the standard for judging him shouldn’t be “beyond a reasonable doubt.” (The Detroit News)
September 22: North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D) on Saturday blasted her GOP Senate challenger Rep. Kevin Cramer over comments he made about the sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. “Congressman Cramer’s comments are disturbing and they don’t reflect the values of North Dakota,” Heitkamp said in a statement to The Hill. Heitkamp issued the statement after Cramer appeared on a North Dakota radio station Friday and called Christine Blasey Ford's allegations against Kavanaugh “absurd” given the circumstances. (The Hill)
August 15: Today, Judge Kavanaugh and I had a thorough and substantive discussion about the importance of the rule of law, precedent, ethical standards at the U.S. Supreme Court, reaching more consensus on the Court, and avoiding activism from the bench so the Court is shielded from politics. I learned more about his judicial record and temperament – which will also hopefully become clearer during his Senate hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. I reinforced to him how critical it is that anyone who serves on the U.S. Supreme Court is pragmatic, compassionate, committed to justice, and impartial so that everyone before the Court gets a fair hearing. I also talked about the need to fully understand Indian law and treaties, which are particularly important for states like North Dakota. Many special interest groups and members of Congress have stated their opinions on how I should vote. They did so before I’ve been able to do my job of fully considering this nominee. Before making a decision, I needed to meet with Judge Kavanaugh, as I did today, and I will closely study his answers at his Senate hearing. I'll also continue reviewing his record. North Dakotans expect more of their elected officials than partisan judgements. Politics should not be part of the vetting process or the decision-making process. Determining who should serve on the U.S. Supreme Court is too important. (senate.gov)
August 14: "I want to get a sense of who he is as a person," Heitkamp told CNN in an interview Tuesday in Bismarck, North Dakota ahead of the meeting with Kavanaugh. "You aren't going to get him to answer questions on, 'what if this case came in front of you?' I tell people who say, 'well, he is going to do this,' I say, 'number one, you never know that someone is going to do.' I mean, look at the Burger court. No one would have predicted that they made the decision that they made. The single most important thing for me is somebody who approaches ever case with a completely open mind." (CNN)
August 6: In an interview Monday with the Tribune editorial board, Heitkamp said she will make no public decision on Kavanaugh's appointment until she has reviewed his record and seen his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. She is scheduled to meet with him on Wednesday. "I don't like making these decisions until I see the actual job interview, which is the committee hearings," Heitkamp said. "As soon as they schedule the committee hearings and we're able to watch the committee hearings, then that'll be the final piece of information that I need to make a decision."..."What I want to know is, is he going to listen to the arguments?" Heitkamp said. "Is he an ideologue to the point where he will not listen to the other side of an argument and make an independent decision based on the facts in front of him?" (WLFI.com)
July 14: Ms. Heitkamp is playing her cards close to her vest; she says she will not make a decision until after the hearings. As for her initial impression, she said, “He seems to be a fairly standard conservative judge, and obviously highly qualified.”...Ms. Heitkamp said she would meet with Judge Kavanaugh and “try and get a sense of who he is as a person, because you can never know how people are going to decide cases, in my opinion.” But she appeared unbothered: “I get pressure like this all the time.” (The New York Times)
July 9: Now I'll get to work to thoroughly review and vet his record to provide advice and consent for filling this vacancy, which is part of my constitutional duty. I take this job incredibly seriously and I expect the nominee to meet with senators, have a hearing, and receive a comprehensive review of his record. As an attorney and former attorney general, I understand the importance of this position for our judicial system and our country. I have no doubt that many members of Congress and outside groups will announce how they stand on the nominee before doing their due diligence and instead just take a partisan stance -- but that isn't how I work. An exhaustive and fair process took place for Justice Gorsuh, who I supported, and it should and must take place again now. (Twitter)