FARGO, N.D. – The Latest on North Dakota Republican state Sen. Tom Campbell announcing his bid for U.S. Senate: (all times local):

5 p.m.

Republican state Sen. Tom Campbell, who cites Donald Trump’s popularity in North Dakota as a selling point for his U.S. Senate bid, says Trump didn’t intend to “be cold” in his handling of a deadly white nationalist rally in Virginia.

Campbell announced his Senate bid Wednesday for the seat held by Democrat Heidi Heitkamp. He says Trump would have been criticized no matter what he said about the demonstration that left three dead. Campbell says it was a “horrible incident” that was “an act of terrorism.”

Campbell, of Grafton, says he wants to partner with Trump, who won the state by 36 percentage points. Campbell says Heitkamp is “against just about everything Trump’s trying to do.”

Heitkamp hasn’t officially announced her re-election plans. A spokeswoman for Heitkamp declined to comment about Campbell’s announcement.

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12:30 p.m.

Republican state Sen. Tom Campbell says he is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Heidi Heitkamp.

Campbell, a potato farmer from Grafton, said in a statement Wednesday that he wants to bring “conservative, North Dakota values to Washington D.C.”

Heitkamp hasn’t officially announced her re-election plans, but has stockpiled $3 million for a run. A spokesman for Heitkamp declined to comment about Campbell’s announcement.

Campbell was first elected to the state Senate in 2012. He is the co-founder of Campbell Farms and a partner in the Campbell Property Group and chairman of the Choice Financial Banks Holding Co.

Campbell mulled a run for governor two years ago but ultimately did not.