DSCC spends $75,000 in ND as poll shows Heitkamp beating Berg

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has purchased about $75,000 in airtime for the Senate race in North Dakota, where a new poll shows the Democrat ahead by five points.

Former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp (D) leads Rep. Rick Berg (R-N.D.) 49-44 in a survey commissioned by North Dakota Democrats. Surprisingly, just 7 percent were undecided six months out from Election Day.

The poll, by Democratic firm DFM Research, suggested Heitkamp is running significantly ahead of other Democrats, giving her solid standing despite being a Democrat in a state where President Obama is expected to lose. Voters surveyed in the poll chose Mitt Romney over Obama 51-32, and favored the GOP over the Democratic Party by a margin of 18 points.

The poll of 478 registered voters was conducted April 18-26 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

The television ad time reserved by the DSCC on Friday signaled the first independent expenditure of the cycle by either the DSCC or the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

"Democrats are extremely bullish about their chances in this race," said a Democratic strategist. "Republicans recognize the real danger they have in North Dakota."

The size of the DSCC buy matches what American Crossroads, the conservative group founded by Karl Rove, has said it is spending on the race for retiring Sen. Kent Conrad's (D-N.D.) seat.

"The fact that Washington Democrats are worried enough to make North Dakota the site of their first statewide buy should tell everyone all they need to know about how credible their poll is," said NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh. "We agree that Democrats are right to be very worried about Heidi's chances in a state where her friend President Obama's approvals are in the 30's."

- This post was updated at 4:11 p.m.

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