2012 United States Senate election in North Dakota
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The 2012 United States Senate election in North Dakota took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election, other United States Senate elections, United States House of Representatives elections, and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic-NPL Senator Kent Conrad decided to retire instead of running for reelection to a fifth term.
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November 6, 2012
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| Turnout | 60.6% (voting eligible)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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  Heitkamp: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 80–90% Berg: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Though each party endorses a single candidate in state conventions in the spring, ballot access for the general election was determined in a primary election held on June 12, 2012.[2]
Heidi Heitkamp, a Democratic-NPL former North Dakota Attorney General, won the open seat over Republican Rick Berg, North Dakota's at-large U.S. Representative, by a margin of 0.9%.[3] Heitkamp outperformed President Barack Obama by 20.5%, the latter having lost North Dakota by 19.6% in the concurrent presidential election.[4] Heitkamp's very narrow winning margin made it the closest race of the 2012 United States Senate elections. The victory made Heitkamp the first woman ever elected to Congress from North Dakota.[a]
As of 2026[update], this was the last time a Democrat won a federal and/or statewide election in North Dakota,[5] and the last North Dakota U.S. Senate race that was decided by a single-digit margin.
Democratic-NPL primary
The North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party held their state convention March 16–18, 2012, in Grand Forks. Former state attorney general and 2000 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Heidi Heitkamp was uncontested in seeking the official party nomination and was the only member of the party elected to appear on the state primary ballot.[6]
Candidates
Nominee
- Heidi Heitkamp, former attorney general of North Dakota and nominee for Governor of North Dakota in 2000[7]
Withdrew
Declined
- Kent Conrad, incumbent U.S. Senator[10]
- Pam Gulleson, former state representative and former chief of staff and former state director for former senator Byron Dorgan[11]
- Kristin Hedger, nominee for North Dakota Secretary of State in 2006[12]
- Joel Heitkamp, brother of Heidi Heitkamp, radio personality and former state senator[13]
- Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union and former North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner[14]
- Tim Mathern, state senator and nominee for governor in 2008[15]
- Earl Pomeroy, former U.S. Representative[16]
- Tracy Potter, state senator and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2010[15]
- Tim Purdon, U.S. Attorney[17]
- Jasper Schneider, USDA rural development State Director[15][18]
- Mac Schneider, state senator[12]
- Ryan Taylor, Minority Leader of the North Dakota Senate[19]
Republican primary
North Dakota Republicans endorsed U.S. Representative Rick Berg at their convention, though general election ballot access is determined by a statewide primary election held on June 12, 2012. In contrast to state political tradition, declared candidate Duane Sand did not seek the party endorsement, trying instead to defeat Berg on the June primary ballot.[20]
Candidates
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Duane Sand, former North and South Dakota Director for Americans for Prosperity and nominee for ND-AL in 2004 and 2008[23]
Declined
- Al Carlson, North Dakota state house majority leader[24]
- Tony Clark, state public service commissioner[25]
- Kevin Cramer, state public service commissioner[25]
- Jack Dalrymple, North Dakota governor and 1992 Republican nominee for U.S. Senate[26]
- Cory Fong, state tax commissioner[27]
- Shane Goettle, U.S. Senator John Hoeven's state director[28]
- Tony Grindberg, state senator[29]
- Bob Harms, North Dakota Republican Party treasurer[15]
- Brian Kalk, state public service commissioner (running for House)[30]
- Kim Koppelman, state representative[31]
- Ed Schafer, former U.S. agriculture secretary and former North Dakota governor[32]
- Kelly Schmidt, North Dakota treasurer[33]
- Wayne Stenehjem, North Dakota attorney general[34]
- John Warford, mayor of Bismarck[35]
- Drew Wrigley, North Dakota lieutenant governor[26]
Endorsements
Rick Berg
Senators
- John Hoeven, United States Senator from North Dakota
- Kay Bailey Hutchison, United States Senator from Texas
Governors
- Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts and Republican nominee for president in 2012
Legislators
- Nancy Johnson, state representative
- George Nodland, state senator
- Rich Wardner, State Senate Majority Leader
- Mike Schatz, state representative
- Vicky Steiner, state representative
Mayors
- Katie Anderson, Mayor of Jamestown
- Mike Hynek, Mayor of Stanley
- Dennis Johnson, Mayor of Dickinson
- Ward Koeser, Mayor of Williston
- Rich Mattern, Mayor of West Fargo
- Ed McConnell, Mayor of Casselton
- Brent Sanford, Mayor of Watford City
- Jim Sturdevant, Mayor of Wahpeton
- John Warford, Mayor of Bismarck
- Curt Zimbelman, Mayor of Minot
Organizations
- Susan B. Anthony List
- NRA Political Victory Fund[36]
- North Dakota Farm Bureau
Polling
Results
Berg—80–90%
Berg—70–80%
Berg—60–70%
Berg—50–60%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Rick Berg | 67,849 | 66.41% | |
| Republican | Duane Sand | 34,209 | 33.48% | |
| Republican | Write-ins | 111 | .41% | |
| Total votes | 102,281 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
Debates
- Complete video of debate, October 15, 2012 – C-SPAN
- Complete video of debate, October 25, 2012 – C-SPAN
Fundraising
| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heidi Heitkamp (D-NPL) | $5,341,362 | $5,318,232 | $23,130 | $0 |
| Rick Berg (R) | $6,501,693 | $6,129,026 | $316,641 | $0 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[41][42] | ||||
Top contributors
| Heidi Heitkamp | Contribution | Rick Berg | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motley Rice LLC | $41,750 | Verizon Communications | $43,666 |
| Council for a Livable World | $26,705 | Elliott Management Corporation | $29,413 |
| Weitz & Luxenberg | $22,400 | NORPAC | $26,700 |
| Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP | $15,050 | Mewbourne Oil Co | $25,000 |
| Medcenter One Health Systems | $12,000 | Rurban Financial | $22,700 |
| American Association for Justice | $10,833 | Hess Corp | $22,500 |
| Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld | $10,750 | NACCO Industries | $22,000 |
| American Federation of Teachers | $10,300 | Marathon Oil | $21,000 |
| Patton Boggs LLP | $10,250 | Berkshire Hathaway | $20,500 |
| American Postal Workers Union | $10,000 | Koch Industries | $20,000 |
Top industries
| Heidi Heitkamp | Contribution | Rick Berg | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers/law firms | $433,811 | Oil & gas | $433,949 |
| Leadership PACs | $284,500 | Leadership PACs | $277,163 |
| Women's issues | $111,593 | Financial institutions | $274,941 |
| Lobbyists | $103,635 | Retired | $218,909 |
| Retired | $100,812 | Real estate | $171,686 |
| Agribusiness | $78,450 | Agribusiness | $163,583 |
| Public sector unions | $73,800 | Insurance | $140,011 |
| Financial institutions | $64,713 | Commercial banks | $127,140 |
| Education | $60,960 | Health professionals | $114,438 |
| Building trade unions | $52,500 | Mining | $106,804 |
Independent expenditures
In early October 2012, Crossroads GPS announced that it would launch a $16 million advertising buy in national races, of which four were this and three other Senate elections.[45]
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[46] | Tossup | November 1, 2012 |
| Inside Elections[47] | Tilt R (flip) | November 2, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[48] | Lean R (flip) | November 5, 2012 |
| Real Clear Politics[49] | Tossup | November 5, 2012 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Heidi Heitkamp (D-NPL) |
Rick Berg (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharos Research[50] | November 2–5, 2012 | 503 | ± 4.1% | 47% | 49% | — | 4% |
| Pharos Research[51] | October 26–28, 2012 | 752 | ± 3.6% | 50% | 48% | — | 2% |
| Mason-Dixon[52] | October 26–28, 2012 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 45% | 47% | — | 8% |
| The Mellman Group (D-Heitkamp)[53] | October 21–24, 2012 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 48% | 44% | — | 7% |
| Pharos Research[54] | October 19–21, 2012 | 807 | ± 3.4% | 49% | 48% | — | 3% |
| The Mellman Group (D-Heitkamp)[55] | October 16–19, 2012 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 45% | 42% | — | 13% |
| Rasmussen Reports[56] | October 17–18, 2012 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 45% | 50% | — | 5% |
| Essman Research[57] | October 12–15, 2012 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 40% | 50% | — | 10% |
| Mason-Dixon[58] | October 3–5, 2012 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 47% | 47% | — | 6% |
| DFM Research (D)[59] | September 24–27, 2012 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 48% | 44% | — | 8% |
| DFM Research (D)[60] | July 24–26, 2012 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 50% | 44% | — | 6% |
| Rasmussen Reports[61] | July 10–11, 2012 | 400 | ± 5.0% | 40% | 49% | 2% | 8% |
| Mason-Dixon[37] | June 4–6, 2012 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 47% | 46% | — | 7% |
| Essman Research[38] | May 3–8, 2012 | 500 | ± 4.3% | 44% | 51% | — | 5% |
| DFM Research (D)[62] | April 18–26, 2012 | 478 | ± 4.5% | 49% | 44% | 1% | 6% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic–NPL | Heidi Heitkamp | 161,337 | 50.24% | −18.58% | |
| Republican | Rick Berg | 158,401 | 49.32% | +19.79% | |
| Write-in | 1,406 | 0.44% | N/A | ||
| Total votes | 321,144 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Democratic–NPL hold | |||||
By county
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See also
Notes
- Jocelyn Burdick appointed to finish her late husband's term at this seat, but did not run to finish the term.