Conservative Group Hires Relative of Former Senator Heidi Heitkamp

Sierra Heitkamp is a North Dakota State University student, currently pursuing degrees in Agriculture Economics and Political Science.

During the 2018 election cycle, she was also a Republican candidate for elected office, running for the state Senate in District 21. She was unsuccessful in that Fargo-area district, which isn’t surprising for a Republican candidate given that it’s one of the state’s few reliably Democratic areas.

Heitkamp is also related to those Heitkamps. She’s a third cousin to former Senator Heidi Heitkamp, so it’s a pretty distant connection, but still, her last name never fails to raise eyebrows when it’s associated with conservative politics in this state.

Perhaps all the more so now that Heitkamp is going to work for Americans for Prosperity, a conservative grassroots group which has been active in North Dakota off and on for some time now.

“We are thrilled to have Sierra Heitkamp join our team and look forward to her work to increase AFP’s footprint across North Dakota,” AFP state director Mike Fedorchak said in a press release about the hire. “Sierra will help lead our Fargo office and she is well-positioned to drive action on our mission of breaking barriers for all North Dakotans.”

Heitkamp’s job title will be Grassroots Engagement Director.

“I’m excited to join a principled organization that works to improve the lives of all North Dakotans,” she said in the release. “I look forward to expanding the great work Americans for Prosperity already does across our state.”

AFP is a group particularly disliked by the left given that it’s a part of the Koch network of political organizations. To have a Heitkamp working for it will likely prompt some double-takes.

The group’s press release is below.

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