Heitkamp had an A rating from the National Rifle Association ( NRA ) for her consistent support of pro-gun legislation . In 2012 , the NRA gave her an 86 % score for supporting their positions ; Gun Owners of America , another gun rights organization , gave her a 30 % rating . Bloomberg News has commented that " on guns , it will be hard to find room to the right of her . " In an April 11 , 2013 , interview , Heitkamp said that she intended to vote against the Manchin-Toomey amendment , which was introduced in the Senate after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting . It would have amended the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to expand background checks to gun shows and internet purchases . Heitkamp said , " I 'm going to represent my state . ... in the end it 's not what any other senator believes . It 's about what the people of North Dakota believe . " Polling suggested that the majority of North Dakotans approve of prohibiting individuals on the No-Fly list from buying firearms and ammunition , but in June 2016 , after the Orlando nightclub shooting , Heitkamp voted against such a prohibition . She was the only Democratic Senator to do so . She instead expressed support for a " compromise gun bill " proposed by Susan Collins
Orlando nightclub shooting
Orlando nightclub shooting
Heidi Heitkamp