Heidi Heitkamp Will Not Run For US Senate

Former North Dakota Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp has announced that she will not run for the U.S. Senate.

Her official statement is below;

Statement of Heidi Heitkamp

I want to thank all the people in North Dakota and across the country who

have urged me to enter the race for the U.S. Senate. I am grateful for

their support, and humbled by their faith in me.

However, I have decided I will not be a candidate.

The deciding factor for me is entirely personal. My life, my family and my

friends are here in North Dakota. In the final analysis, I simply could not

compete for a job that would require me to spend so much time in Washington,

away from my family and the people and the place that I love.

I had no illusions about the difficult political environment. A campaign

against a politician who has held office these past ten years would not be

easy. Nevertheless, I was sorely tempted to make the race. The stakes for

our state are high. One-fourth of North Dakota's economy is dependent on

the federal government. As the federal government seeks to deal with

mounting federal debt, it's critical that North Dakota's next US Senator be

strong and clear on fiscal and policy matters.

I hope these crucial issues and many more will be addressed in the context

of a lively and substantive campaign, and I will give my full

support to the candidate my party chooses. This time, it won't be

me.

In closing, I would like to thank Senator Dorgan once again for his long and

distinguished service to the state, and I urge the voters of North Dakota to

hold their next Senator to the same high standards of service and

leadership.

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