More Transition News: ND Sen. Heitkamp Pegged for Agriculture Secretary

By Susan Wright | 6:30 PM on December 10, 2016

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*Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-ND (Nick Wass/AP Images for United Way Worldwide)*

President-elect Trump is dipping into the pool of Democrats to fill some of his cabinet positions.

In this case, his top pick for Agriculture Secretary is Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat senator from North Dakota.

If she accepts, that opens up new opportunities for Republicans in the Senate.

Heitkamp joining Trump’s administration would require a special election to fill her Senate seat, which could flip to a Republican.

As The Hill reported Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) met with Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), an early Trump backer, to discuss a potential future in the upper chamber.

Cramer has said he plans to challenge Heitkamp in 2018. A bid to flip Heitkamp’s seat red could increase the GOP’s Senate majority.

Heitkamp met with Trump at Trump Tower earlier this month, and it was said at that time that he was considering her for either Agriculture or Energy secretary.