A former North Dakota Republican congressman is not running for U.S. Senate.

In a one word answer to a text asking to confirm if he wasn't running, Rick Berg replied "confirmed".

Berg's answer comes on the same day that Congressman Kevin Cramer announced that he wasn't running against incumbent U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp.

It was Heitkamp, who won a tight race over Berg five years ago.

Berg served one term as North Dakota's lone U.S. House member. The Republican defeated Democrat Earl Pomeroy in 2010.