GOP’s Heck to seek Reid’s Nevada seat

Rep. Joe Heck (R) announced Monday he’ll run for the Senate in Nevada.

Heck will seek retiring Minority Leader Harry Reid’s (D) seat, and touted his experience as an Army doctor and Iraq War veteran in a video launching his campaign.

{mosads}“We turned the desert into a place of new beginnings,” Heck said. “I see a Nevada of unlimited opportunity. A place with better jobs, higher wages and a chance to rise as far as the path will take us. That’s why I’m running for the U.S. Senate. I’ve seen suffering in my family and in our Nevada families. That’s why I’ve devoted my life to healing the hurt, mending broken lives and fixing broken problems.”

Heck is a strong recruit for Republicans in a state that might represent their best pick-up opportunity in 2016. He’s a proven fundraiser who consistently outperforms in his swing district.

If Heck makes it through the primaries, he’s likely to face Reid’s handpicked successor in the general election, former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto (D).

Until recently, Heck had publicly expressed little interest in running for the Senate, saying he was content with his roles on House subcommittees with jurisdiction over the military.

However, Heck got a hard sell from national Republicans as it became increasingly clear that Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R), who is wildly popular in the state, would pass on a Senate run and remain in his current job.

Democrats on Monday sought to portray Heck, a third-term member of the House, as a creature of Washington.

“Congressman Heck has spent his time in Washington catering to insurance companies, big banks and Washington special interests instead of Nevada families and he will struggle to explain his anti-middle class record throughout the campaign,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Justin Barasky said in a statement.

“Democrats have a strong candidate in Catherine Cortez Masto who’s won statewide twice before and has spent her career protecting everyday Nevadans and fighting for their interests,” Barasky said. “We look forward to a comparison of their records and know Catherine Cortez Masto will be a great Senator who always puts Nevada first.”

Several state-level Republicans are still mulling bids and could challenge Heck for the party’s nomination.

Current Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison (R), former Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R), Nevada state Senate Majority Leader Michael Roberson (R) and about a half-dozen other potential candidates are said to be considering running for the Senate.

President Obama carried Nevada in both of his White House runs, but voters in the Silver State backed President George W. Bush in the two elections before that.