Or, I am pleased to announce, Senator-elect Heidi Heitkamp!
To understand how truly stupendous Mary Catherine Heitkamp is, one need only look at the statewide numbers for the other races in North Dakota:
President: R-58.3%, D-38.7%
H (at large): R-54.9, D-41.7
Governor: R-63.1, D-34.3
Auditor: R-62.5, D-37.3
Treasurer: R-65.8, D-34.0
Insurance Commissioner: R-63.3, D-36.6
Public Service Commissioner: R-54.4, D-41.1
The Republicans control both houses of the state legislature. They control every single statewide office, including the ones that were not on the ballot this year. (North Dakota elects more statewide officers than any other state, but only half are on the ballot each two years.) The Republicans even wrested away the one office legally considered non-partisan, but held by a Democrat for the last quarter-century.
Despite this trouncing the North Dakota Democratic Party-NPL has taken, Heidi Heitkamp defeated a Republican congressman for the senate seat.
The future of the ND Dem–NPL rides on her shoulders. Without her, the party would not have even the nominal non-partisan Commissioner of Public Education. Additionally, had she not won in this era of Citizens United, the party would have had a hard time finding candidates for any race. At least now, Heidi will be there to tell candidates that it can be done, the race can be won.
Not only that, she will make a damned fine senator. I know there will be times she disappoints us. On many issues she will have to even oppose our interests. Such is life. Fossil fuels and the environment are among my top concerns, but she will be no worse than her opponent on those issues. Among my other top concerns are women's rights, justice, fair taxation. Heidi will not disappoint me on those issues.
To those handful of Kossacks who donated to Heidi's election through the ActBlue page I set up, I thank you. To those who donated through other means, I thank you equally. And to the incomparably friendly, optimistic, upbeat Mary Catherine "Heidi" Heitkamp, I salute you! Now go and do good!