Heidi Heitkamp

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Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (center), North Dakota Democrat, arrives to join other lawmakers and national security officials on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013, for a closed-door briefing on the situation in Syria. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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**FILE** Heidi Heitkamp, the North Dakota Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks Aug. 11, 2012, during the opening of a North Dakota Democratic campaign office in Dickinson, N.D. At right is Ryan Taylor (with hat), the North Dakota Democratic candidate for governor, and Ryan Nagle, a Democratic campaign staffer. (Associated Press)

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**FILE** Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Heidi Heitkamp (left) listens to Republican opponent Rick Berg speak at a North Dakota Chamber of Commerce forum on health care and energy at a hotel in Bismarck, N.D., on Oct. 11, 2012. (Associated Press)

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Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Heidi Heitkamp and Republican opponent Rep. Rick Berg are battling for the seat being vacated by Sen. Kent Conrad. The two faced off in a debate on Thursday in Bismarck, N.D. Republican hopes for an easy win have been thwarted by Mrs. Heitkamp’s strong appeal. (Associated Press)

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**FILE** North Dakota Senate candidate Heidi Heitkamp speaks Aug. 11, 2012, in Dickinson, N.D. (Associated Press)

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Rick Berg, the Republican Senate candidate in North Dakota, speaks in Bismarck, N.D., during a debate with Democratic candidate Heidi Heitkamp. Ms. Heitkamp and Mr. Berg are running for the seat being left open by the departure of incumbent Democrat Kent Conrad, and Mr. Berg is seen as crucial to GOP hopes of capturing control of the Senate. (Associated Press)