Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp says she will vote 'no' on Kavanaugh's confirmation


Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) is a "no" on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Heitkamp, one of the red state Democrats who is fighting to keep her seat through the midterm elections, was previously on the fence about Kavanaugh. She told a North Dakota TV station on Thursday that "the process has been bad" in evaluating Kavanaugh. "But at the end of the day," she said, "you have to make a decision and I've made that decision. I will be voting no on Judge Kavanaugh."
Kavanaugh has been accused of sexual assault, which he denies. On Thursday, senators reviewed an FBI report into the allegations; Republican leaders said the investigation found "no hint of misconduct."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
With Heitkamp joining the vast majority of the Democratic Party in opposing Kavanaugh's confirmation, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) may stand alone as the only Democrat who is leaning toward voting "yes." The fate of Kavanaugh's confirmation, expected to be decided by the end of the week, now rests in the hands of Manchin and other undecided senators like Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.).
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
September 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include court-approved racial profiling and America's moral compass
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashion
In the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants