US Senator Heidi Heitkamp made history as the first woman elected to represent North Dakota in the US Senate, serving from 2013 to 2019.
During her six years in office, Senator Heitkamp built a reputation for working across the political divide. She championed policies to strengthen rural communities, expanding access to affordable healthcare, cutting unnecessary regulation, and advancing balanced energy solutions that kept costs low while meeting climate goals.
Heitkamp was also a leading voice on issues affecting Indigenous communities, the fight against human trafficking, and efforts to address childhood trauma. Her lifelong commitment to expanding economic opportunity in rural America continues to define her work today.
Before serving in the Senate, Heitkamp was North Dakota’s elected state tax commissioner and later attorney general. In that role, she helped negotiate the 1998 landmark settlement between 46 states and the tobacco industry.
Today, Heitkamp sits on several nonprofit boards, including at the McCain Institute, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and the German Marshall Fund. She also serves on the board of directors of Norfolk Southern Corporation and several corporate advisory boards.
Heitkamp is the founder and chair of the One Country Project, which focuses on amplifying the voices and addressing the needs of rural Americans. She also contributes regularly to CNBC and ABC News.