Democrats Say They’ll “Welcome Support” From Hillary Clinton on the Campaign Trail, Senator Heidi Heitkamp Hardest Hit
Melanie Heitkamp hands out Hillary Clinton face cutouts to Iola and Arvin Kvasager at the Democratic party Tuesday evening at the Ramada in Grand Forks. (Jesse Trelstad/Grand Forks Herald)
Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s views on Hillary Clinton have evolved from the 2016 election cycle to present.
Back in the 2016 cycle the incumbent was on the stump literally shouting her belief that Clinton “will be one of the greatest presidents.” Heitkamp’s opponent, Congressman Kevin Cramer, used the video of it to devastating effect in a recent digital ad:
After Clinton got an absolute shellacking here in North Dakota – she got just 27.8 percent of the vote here – and once her own re-election campaign got started Heitkamp changed her tune. When asked when Hillary Clinton would go away Heitkamp’s response was “not soon enough.”
But now Senator Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, has said Democrats will “welcome support” from Clinton on the campaign trail in 2018.
“We welcome support from everybody who wants to help, including Secretary Clinton and President Obama,” Van Hollen told reporters.
That is not good news for Heitkamp. Even if Clinton doesn’t campaign in North Dakota, specifically, her visibility speaking on behalf of Democrats nationally is going to be a headache for the incumbent.
Clinton is toxic here. Democrats like Heitkamp need her to unseen and unheard.
