Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) announced on Thursday that she will not vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
"I will be voting against confirming U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court," Heitkamp said in a personal statement on Twitter.
"After doing my due diligence and now that the record is apparently closed, I will vote against his confirmation," Heitkamp said, adding that her vote to deny Kavanaugh a seat on the nation's highest court is part of her effort to stand up for women and survivors of sexual assault.
"Our actions right now are a poignant signal to young girls and women across our country," Heitkamp said. "I will continue to stand up for them."
Heitkamp cited the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who last month publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct at a house party in the 1980's. Heitkamp said through Ford, she "heard the voices of women I have known throughout my life who have similar stories of sexual assault and abuse."
Heitkamp later echoed the sentiments in an interview for ABC News, saying:
"This isn't a political decision. If this were a political decision for me, I certainly would be deciding this the other way. I can't get up in the morning and look at the life experience that I've had and say yes to Judge Kavanaugh."
New York's Kirsten Gillibrand said Heitkamp's decision "is a vote for her conscience and for her state, one she made regardless of any attacks she'll face."
"We need her to stay strong in this race, defeat Cramer and help protect the future of the Supreme Court," Gillibrand added.
A grateful public made shared their appreciation.
Heitkamp was lauded for her courage, as she currently trails in the polls to her Republican opponent in deep-red North Dakota.
Placing principle over politics has Twitter cheering - and donating.
The Senate begins voting on Kavanaugh's confirmation on Friday. It is expected to be a nailbiter and could end up determining which party wins control of the upper chamber in November's midterms.
