Rep. Kevin Cramer wants more help from President Trump as he accelerates his bid to oust Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota.
The Republican congressman delivered that message on Friday during a White House meeting with political director Bill Stepien to discuss his Senate campaign, GOP sources tell the Washington Examiner. Cramer led Heitkamp by approximately 6 percentage points in recent internal polling, and Republicans are confident about his prospects.
But Cramer, heavily recruited by Trump, has been irked by the close cooperation between Heitkamp and the White House on some major issues. Cramer wants the president to provide a more demonstrable show of support for his candidacy in North Dakota, along the lines of a fundraiser or rally.
“He’s up in the polls a little bit, but it’s going to be a tough race all the way,” Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said, adding that visible backing from Trump in state is a critical component to the party’s strategy to defeat Heitkamp. “It’s important. He’s popular in North Dakota; I’m sure you’ve seen the numbers.”
The president’s national job approval ratings are in the low 40s.
But as in other red states he won easily in 2016, Trump is above 50 percent in North Dakota and a major asset to Republicans on the midterm ballot. The dynamic no doubt weighs on Heitkamp’s floor votes and influences how she talks about a president that is despised by the Democratic base.
Heitkamp has delivered crucial votes for Trump nominees for secretary of state and CIA director. The senator also worked with Republicans and the White House to pass legislation easing regulations on community and regional banks. The bill would have died in the Senate absent the votes of centrist Democrats.
Ask Heitkamp about her collaboration with the White House and she sounds eager to publicize it.
“I always say, when I agree with the president, I love working with him. When I disagree, I’m going to let him know why I disagree,” Heitkamp said during a brief interview. “It’s not just the president, but his entire administration that we’ve been able to work with on a number of issues.”
On the banking bill, known as S.2155, Heitkamp bragged: “We expect that we’re going to see the bank bill, 2155, actually pass today, and this is something the president’s been advocating for. It wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for the moderate Democrats pushing it.”
North Dakota is among the Republicans’ best Senate pickup opportunities in the midterms. Heitkamp won a close race in 2012, defeating then-Rep. Rick Berg, a Republican, by less than 1 point. Her approval rating this year, though positive at 47 percent versus 39 percent, is still below 50 percent.
Cramer initially declined to challenge Heitkamp, leaving some Republican insiders worried about their chances — especially if voters in a political atmosphere dominated by Trump were to turn against the GOP. After prodding from Trump, Cramer changed his mind and jumped in the race.
Since then, the GOP’s chances of gaining Senate seats, and holding the House, also improved. But Cramer isn’t taking anything for granted.
Multiple Republican sources said the White House flirtation with Heitkamp, as a key Democrat the president can woo on some close votes, has rankled the congressman. “He’s frustrated they are sweet-talking Heitkamp for her votes,” a Republican insider said.
It’s probably a complaint that can be remedied with a presidential fundraiser or a signature Trump campaign rally. Already active on the trail for Republican Senate candidates — Trump is headed to Nashville on May 29 to do both for Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. — Cramer is likely to be the beneficiary of both at some point.
