Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp
North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp has decided
not to run for governor next year in the wake of GOP Gov. Jack Dalrymple's retirement. Heitkamp would have unquestionably been the strongest possible Democratic candidate, but had she run and won, her Senate seat would have almost certainly flipped because of a new law the Republican-held legislature just passed that would have required a special election in 2017. The DSCC will consequently be pleased, though Heitkamp will have a beast of a re-election campaign in 2018 if she chooses to run again.
Democrats still have other options for the gubernatorial race, though the party's odds will be very steep. The list starts with Heitkamp's brother Joel, a radio host, and also includes former U.S. Attorney Tim Purdon; state Senate Minority Leader Mac Schneider; former USDA official Jasper Schneider; state Sen. George Sinner; and, believe it or not, ex-Rep. Earl Pomeroy. Purdon, the Schneiders (they're first cousins), and Sinner all sound unlikely, but Joel Heitkamp seems more interested. As for Pomeroy, it seemed like he was done with politics after his tough loss in 2010—he now works in D.C. as a lawyer. But he still keeps a home in Grand Forks and says he wants "to be in the discussions."
Meanwhile, the two most prominent Republicans considering are Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley and state Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, but Wrigley recently admitted to having an extra-marital affair, so that may weigh him down. Democrats haven't won the governorship in North Dakota since 1988, though Heitkamp almost managed it in 2000 until a diagnosis of breast cancer not long before Election Day derailed her campaign. The one thing Democrats have going for them is presidential-year turnout, but the GOP will still be heavily favored.