Article snippet: Sen. MORE as secretary of State, virtually guaranteeing he will win confirmation. Heitkamp, who faces a difficult reelection race this fall in a state Trump won by double-digits, becomes the first Senate Democrat to announce her support for Pompeo. “The role of the State Department is to support our diplomatic missions to avoid conflict, support American interests, and stand up for our allies, and having a leadership team in place is essential to carrying out those jobs,” she said in a statement. If he is confirmed, Heitkamp said that she would “hold Mr. Pompeo accountable to make sure he advances our country’s leadership in the world and supports our embassies.” Sen. MORE (R-Ariz.) has been absent, leaving Republicans with a maximum of 49 votes for his confirmation. Heitkamp's vote would get them to 50, the simple majority needed to be confirmed. Pompeo has been engaged in a flurry of 11th hour one-on-one meetings with Democrats as he’s searched for the crucial swing vote. Heitkamp met with him late last month but told reporters as recently as Wednesday that she remained undecided as she reviewed his record and the transcripts of his hearing before the Foreign Relations Committee, where she is not a member. It's possible Pompeo could lose another GOP vote. Sen. Thursday that he remains undecided on Pompeo, but he did support him to be CIA director last year. But a few other Democrats facing tough reelection races in states won by Trump may also back Pompeo. W... Link to the full article to read more