Democrats Already Running Campaign Commercials on Behalf of Heidi Heitkamp

“You may not have noticed it…but the North Dakota Senate campaign for the 2018 cycle has already begun,” I wrote back on April 1.

The Democrats keep proving me right, acknowledging that Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s re-election bid (which she hasn’t officially announced yet) is in trouble. That’s why the Democrats have set up an operation to track and attack Congressman Kevin Cramer, a potential challenger. That’s why Heitkamp’s admittedly strong fundraising numbers were leaked to the press ahead of their official filing (a tactic which also served to obscure how much of that money came from special interests and out of state voters).

Now they’re literally running campaign ads on television.

In May. Of 2017.

Here’s the ad:

Politico reports that the ads are being paid for by the Senate Majority PAC’s affiliated nonprofit Majority Forward, and it’s part of a $3.5 million television campaign in Arizona, Indiana, Nevada, Missouri, Montana and, of course, North Dakota.

It’s an interesting move. On one hand, it’s clear that Heitkamp has the backing of national Democrats, and that she’s taking this re-election bid seriously. On the other hand, campaigning so aggressively so early imbues Heitkamp’s re-election bid with a whiff of desperation.