From the New York Times, I'm Michael Barbaro. This is the deal.

Today, Democratic senators in states, one by President Trump,

had concluded that their best path to re-election was to campaign on local issues.

Then came Brett Kavanaugh.

It's Tuesday, October 9.

Jonathan, hey, it's Michael.

Hey. Thanks for doing this.

Yeah, how are you doing?

Okay, let's jump in.

Jonathan, we are literally reaching you on a layover at the airport.

And I believe you have about 20 minutes until you have to catch your next flight.

Where exactly are you headed back from?

On the way home from Fargo, North Dakota. And before that, I had been in Bismarck, North Dakota.

And what took you there?

So I was out there to cover the Senate race.

Senator Heidi Heidekamp is probably the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent running this year for re-election in the Senate.

Jonathan Martin covers national politics for the times.

She was first elected 2012.

And it's just a very Republican-leaning state nowadays.

So it's really gotten away from Democrats and it's become harder for them to win there.

And she's facing a challenge from Kevin Kramer, who is the at-large congressman, who was also elected in 2012 to save yours.

So tell us about the kind of race Senator Heidi Heidekamp was running there until last week.

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