Heidi Heitkamp
Mary Kathryn "Heidi" Heitkamp (born October 30, 1955) is the junior United States Senator from North Dakota, in office since 2013, and a member of the North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party. She was the 28th North Dakota Attorney General, serving from 1993 to 2001, and State Tax Commissioner from 1989 to 1993. Heitkamp was an unsuccessful candidate for governor in the 2000 gubernatorial election, losing to John Hoeven. She considered a bid for the Democratic nomination in the 2010 U.S. Senate election to replace retiring Senator Byron Dorgan, but on March 3, 2010, declined the rematch against Hoeven, who was ultimately elected. In November 2011, Heitkamp declared her candidacy to replace Kent Conrad as U.S. Senator from North Dakota in the 2012 election. She narrowly defeated Republican Congressman Rick Berg on November 6, 2012, in that year's closest Senate race, with Berg conceding the next day. She is North Dakota's second female senator, after Jocelyn Burdick, and the first to be elected.