Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) revealed Thursday that she will be voting “no” on confirming Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
“The process has been bad but at the end of the day you have to make a decision and I made that decision,” Heitkamp exclusively told North Dakota television station WDAY News, “I will be voting ‘no’ on Judge Kavanaugh.”
Heitkamp, a vulnerable red state Democrat, was a key vote in the confirmation process. In her tight race for re-election, her GOP opponent Kevin Cramer was polling ahead of her by 12 percent in the latest Fox News poll.
Kavanaugh's confirmation will be determined by key moderate senators such as Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and Joe Manchin (D-WV).
Flake and Collins indicated earlier Thursday that they believe the FBI investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh has been "thorough" and has not revealed any corroboration for the claims against him.
Manchin remains undecided but told reporters that he's trying to look at "the human side" of things.
"I am looking at the gentleman as an adult from 22 to 53, 31 years of professional service," he said of Kavanuagh. "I am looking at him as a father, as a person in a community, how he interacts with his community. I am trying to put the human side to it."
The Senate is reviewing the FBI's report on allegations made by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford that Kavanaugh groped her and pinned her down while he was drunk at a party in high school.
Kavanaugh fully denies these allegations.
The Senate will be voting on Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court in the next couple of days.