The National Rifle Association is going after Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) after she announced she will vote no in opposition to the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
"Today, Heidi Heitkamp put partisan politics above the rights of law-abiding North Dakota gun owners. Right now, the U.S. Supreme Court is split 4-4 on the basic right to keep a firearm in the home for self-defense. Therefore, a vote against confirming Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is a vote against the fundamental right to self-defense,” the NRA released in a statement.
#BREAKING: @ChrisCoxNRA commented on @SenatorHeitkamp's opposition to Judge Kavanaugh: "Today, Heidi Heitkamp put partisan politics above the rights of law-abiding North Dakota gun owners." Read the rest of @ChrisCoxNRA's statement here: https://t.co/ZLFUChBfWc
— NRA (@NRA) October 4, 2018
The NRA has been supportive of Kavanaugh's nomination since he was nominated in July.
#BREAKING: The Senate is debating Kavanaugh. The vote to confirm is imminent! Contact your senators and tell them to vote to protect your right to self-defense. ?? https://t.co/Yzb9wsAwkR #ConfirmKavanaugh pic.twitter.com/QlZAqMgKLL
— NRA (@NRA) October 5, 2018
Heitkamp announced Thursday, before Friday's cloture vote, she would vote against the nomination.
My statement on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh: pic.twitter.com/exZcK78JtF
— Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (@SenatorHeitkamp) October 4, 2018
Her decision is already impacting her chances for reelection in the state. From The Hill:
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) was 12 points behind challenger Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), according to a poll released Wednesday, the second survey in as many days showing her trailing by a double-digit margin.
A Fox News poll showed that 53 percent of likely voters in North Dakota back Cramer, while 41 percent support Heitkamp, who is considered among the most vulnerable Democrats up for reelection.
The poll showed Heitkamp's support has fallen, given a Fox News poll conducted earlier in September had showed her trailing Cramer by 44 to 48 percent.