Hillary Clinton lost North Dakota, the same state that elected Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp four years earlier, by a resounding 36-point margin.
That’s created something of a vulnerability for Heitkamp, who’s confronting the same problem as Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, another vulnerable Trump Country Democratic incumbent fighting to keep her seat in November: she enthusiastically endorsed Clinton.
McCaskill’s connection to the unpopular Democratic nominee has already been exploited by her likely Republican opponent, state Attorney General Josh Hawley. Hawley seized on McCaskill’s Clinton ties after the former secretary of state disparaged states that voted for President Trump in a March interview, weaving together footage of McCaskill lauding Clinton with footage of Clinton’s remarks in a video ad. Now, Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Heitkamp’s presumptive GOP opponent, is pouncing as well.
Cramer’s campaign released a digital ad on Tuesday, featuring footage of Heitkamp delivering what can only be described as a full-throated endorsement of Clinton. “We’re supporting Hillary Clinton because she is going to be one of the greatest presidents of the United States of America,” the senator proclaims enthusiastically in the video clip. It’s a bad look for an incumbent who’s seeking re-election in a state where only 27 percent of voters backed Clinton.
After Clinton’s disastrous March interview, which will linger throughout the cycle, both McCaskill and Heitkamp sought to distance themselves from their former candidate of choice. Asked at the time when Clinton will “ride off into the sunset,” Heitkamp shot back, “Not soon enough.”
But the footage of both senators’ endorsements will live on, serving until November as a powerful weapon for Republican hopefuls.
