For Kristin Hedger, rebounding from a defeat at the polls in November is comparable to one of her favorite pastimes: horseback riding.

"It's like you were bucked off," she said in a recent interview, sporting a lopsided, but confident smile. The light-hearted expression seemed to grow harder and the wandering gaze grew intense as she continued.

"That was my motto, 'hang on tight and spur hard.' If you get bucked off, track down your horse and get back on."

The 26-year-old Democrat talked about her plans of dusting herself off and riding into the future less than a month after being defeated by one of the state's longest-serving public officials, Republican Al Jaeger. Jaeger defeated Hedger 54 percent to 46 percent in the secretary of state's race.

Jaeger said during the election he focused on presenting the people of North Dakota his office's accomplishments, and describing plans for the future. Jaeger was first elected as the state's top elections official in 1993.

"My concentration was on my own campaign, not my opponent's," he said. "She had an aggressive campaign, and I'm pleased that the people of North Dakota returned me to office."

Hedger said she's stayed busy in the weeks following the election thanking her volunteer staff and supporters. Her plans beyond that include helping young political upstarts, possibly teaching at a state or tribal college and working at the family business - Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing.

"I'm committed to working with my family business," she said of a job that gives her all kinds of freedom. She can work on her laptop computer from anywhere that offers Internet access.

Former director of the state Democratic Party Jim Fuglie said he hopes these plans don't keep her from running for public office in the future.

"She's a bright young star in our party, and I hope she is back on the block one day," he said. "I think she has all the skills to win. She's smart and aggressive and understands the issues facing North Dakota."

According to Fuglie, some of the state's political leaders, including Rep. Earl Pomeroy and Heidi Heitkamp, weren't elected their first time around.

"My sense is she learned a lot running a statewide race. That's an experience a lot of young people don't get," he said. "I think she'll put what she learned in the campaign to work for her in her life. As long as she views this as a learning experience, this is a real positive, whether she won or not."

Hedger said she's not ruling out the possibility of vying for another position someday, but she hasn't set her eye on anything yet.

For now, she's content putting her experience to use instructing political hopefuls under the age of 30 from either party. She's already started revamping her "Go Hedger" Web site to include tips on how beginners can deal with the media, hold press conferences, raise campaign funds and organize and attract volunteers.

"I've got so much energy, vision and passion," she said. "I just love our state, and we could make it better."

Hedger's work ethic and determination was forged growing up among the work-until-you-drop and never-give-up attitudes of the farmers and ranchers in the Killdeer Mountain area. The western North Dakota cowboys tutored her with their own brand of rough education.

One such lesson occurred as a young Hedger was preparing to bite into a burger. One of her grandfather's cowboy friends told her to stuff half of the thick burger into her mouth. Hedger accepted the challenge and was surprised by the results.

"You can chew a lot more than you think," she said. "You have to maximize what God gave you."

She applied this lesson growing up, competing in rodeos and playing NCAA Division I tennis at Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

The self-described workaholic started her political career while earning a bachelor's of arts degree in political science from the American University School of Public Affairs and a master's of theological ethics from Yale University School of Divinity. She served as an aide to Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., for the last six years, reorganizing the Young Democrats in 2005.

Hedger's idea to run for secretary of state was sparked, ironically, during a conversation with Jaeger. As Jaeger described the duties of the state's top elections administrator, Hedger realized it was a perfect fit. She quickly received the Democratic Party endorsement and began organizing volunteers and raising funds.

Executive director of the state Republican Party Jason Stverak said the Hedger campaign was fueled by a lot of out-of-state funds. Hedger raised about $150,000 to Jaeger's $41,000. Although he went on to say there were inaccuracies in the Hedger campaign, Stverak also had a few encouraging comments.

"She ran a good campaign and worked tremendously hard," Stverak said. "Anyone who is willing to stand up when others won't and put their name on the line, should be applauded."

In the months leading up to election night, Hedger basically lived out of her 2005 Chevy Silverado. She traveled throughout the state holding press conferences, visiting fairs, participating in parades and appearing at public events. Between engagements, she'd stretch out in the back seat of her extended-cab pickup and read philosophy, Dorgan's new book or, most often, the Bible.

"It was an office as well as a place of refuge," Hedger said of the pickup.

The pickup turned into her workplace whenever she had a few hours to park outside a business with wireless Internet access. She'd work on campaign material or one of Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing's new "cutting edge projects."

"I was working on a 24-hour clock," she said with a look of fond reminiscence. "I really had my heart set on the office of secretary of state. I saw so many opportunities there."

On election night, Hedger and her supporters joined other Democrats at the Radisson Hotel, where Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., was hosting a party. Her mother, cousins and friends rented a room.

Throughout the night, she divided her time between the chaos of cameras and speeches, and the comfort of family and friends. Although she was pretty sure of the outcome somewhat earlier, she kept up hope until receiving the final results sometime after midnight.

"I was peaceful, but it was a disappointment," she said of the defeat. "When you put your heart and soul into trying to work for others and you don't get that opportunity, it's a disappointment."

Hedger currently divides her time between her residence in Bismarck and frequent trips to her "work-in-progress" ranch near Killdeer.

"The most important thing is that she stays here," Fuglie said. "She's at a point where she can decide if she wants to stay in North Dakota or follow some big-city dream. When she makes that decision, she can make a good role model for a lot of young people who want to get involved in the political process."

There was some uncertainty during the election as to whether North Dakota was Hedger's home. Newspaper letters to the editors questioned whether she met the residency requirement to run for a state office.

Hedger was born in Bismarck, has family roots in the Killdeer area and lived in Steele, but her parents divorced when she was 10 years old and she moved to Texas, where she attended high school and college.

During the election, Hedger provided documentation that proved she had filed taxes in North Dakota for the past three years. Before 2003, she wasn't earning enough money to require filing. She also has a state driver's license, and assured voters that she's always called North Dakota home.

That sentiment hasn't changed.

"North Dakota comes before money or anything," she said. "There's no other interest that would come before my love for the state … well, maybe church."