I am not an expert on ND politics. I do LOVE that state, very pro-business, low taxes, right to work, pro drilling, a sensible state government, pro Second Amendment. The state has only voted Democrat for president maybe three or four times since it joined the union last time in 1964.....few states can match such a record....that all said, how DO Democrats get elected to ANYTHING in ND? Ever?????
Believe it or not, that seat that Heidi won hasn’t elected a Republican to it since 1958. North Dakota had a heavy Socialist influence going back to the early 20th century, which was mostly with the Republican party (the Democrat party was largely non-existent). The battles within the GOP were between the Conservative element and the Socialist Non-Partisan League. In the late ‘50s, the NPL decided to exit the GOP and merged with the weak Democrats. Federally, the Democrats dominated from 1980 until 2010, but the GOP has been largely in control of the state since after 1990.
Alas, the GOP nominated the weak at-large Congressman who was only a freshman (and polling data indicated he was having trouble throughout the campaign). Heitkamp was part of the last group of Democrats that won office statewide (and haven’t since). Just as she won, the strong GOP candidate for the open House seat took it without much difficulty. Heitkamp has to know she has a big target on her back if she goes far left (especially on guns). I expect the new GOP Congressman Kevin Cramer will probably be her opponent in 2018.
The article explains the Dakota mindset in the decade before the current oil boom. The idea is basically to send liberal turds to Washington in order to maximize their take of Federal goodies but elect conservatives on the state and local level to ensure that the money isn't squandered.
Heitkamp was active in state politics way back when I lived there. She is typical of this genre of red state congress critters in that she is outgoing and personable during election campaigns and the average voter pays little attention to what they actually do in Washington.
Gun control is a typical high profile issue where they can talk conservative AND get permission from theur liberal leadership to make high profile votes on legislation which is either (a)unlikely to pass anyway or (b)pass with enough of a majority that their votes won't matter.
Such votes are, of course, pulled out every election cycle and trumpeted as evidence that the leftwing congress critter is really an independent voice for the state.