Sen. Heidi Heitkamp's announcement leaves Sen. Joe Manchin as the only remaining undecided Democrat on Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination as it nears a pivotal Friday test vote. | Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images Kavanaugh Confirmation Heitkamp to vote ‘no’ on Kavanaugh

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), one of her party's most politically vulnerable incumbents, will vote against Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination.

Heitkamp is trailing her reelection challenger, pro-Kavanaugh Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), with just 32 days remaining until the midterm elections. That intense political pressure on Heitkamp — as well as her vote last year for President Donald Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Justice Neil Gorsuch — had heightened GOP hopes of winning her vote on Kavanaugh.


But the North Dakotan specifically cited Christine Blasey Ford's testimony against Kavanaugh last week as a key factor in announcing her decision to oppose Kavanaugh on Thursday.

"When I listened to Dr. Ford testify, I heard the voices of women I have known throughout my life who have similar stories of sexual assault and abuse," Heitkamp said, citing her past work with abuse survivors as the attorney general of her state.

"Our actions right now are a poignant signal to young girls and women across our country. I will continue to stand up for them," Heitkamp said.

Her announcement leaves Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) as the only remaining undecided Democrat on Kavanaugh's nomination as it nears a pivotal Friday test vote. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), who also voted for Gorsuch last year, came out against Kavanaugh last week.

Republicans in Heitkamp's home state criticized the move.

"Heidi Heitkamp just failed North Dakota, and voters know it. This race is now between a candidate who will be a voice for North Dakota and another candidate who politicizes every issue and staunchly opposes President Trump at every turn," Jake Wilkins, spokesman for the North Dakota GOP, wrote to reporters.

Cramer took heat from Heitkamp's campaign last month for saying that Kavanaugh would be disqualified from the high court if it was proven he lied about Ford's assault allegations, not necessarily because of the alleged sexual misconduct itself. But he remains in the lead in their midterm matchup, with one recent poll showing a 10-percentage-point advantage for the Republican.