Will Rep. Joe Heck run for Harry Reid's seat? The GOP hopes so
Rep. Joe Heck has repeatedly said that he doesn't want to run for Harry Reid's open Senate seat next year, but national Republicans have never given up hope that they could change his mind. And sure enough, Heck
confirms he's been meeting with the NRSC, though they're going to need to keep working on their persuasion campaign. Heck says that while he's taking his "due diligence" while he considers, he's happy in the House and still leaning against a run.
After Gov. Brian Sandoval, who still appears incredibly unlikely to jump in, Heck is the GOP's top choice for this open seat. Heck is a formidable campaigner and great fundraiser, and he has a good chance to avert a competitive primary. The GOP has some other options: Jon Ralston writes that if Heck and Sandoval are both noes, the NRSC will probably turn to state Senate Majority Leader Michael Roberson or Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison. But there's little doubt that the GOP will be delighted if they can land Heck for what will be a tough race in a light blue state.
P.S.: DotVOTE (whom we've never heard of) tests Heck's odds in a hypothetical general election for polls.vote (whom we've also never heard of). But rather than pair Heck up with former Democratic Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, who has the Democratic field to herself so far, they test Heck against Rep. Dina Titus, who is still considering what to do. They give Heck a huge 52-35 edge, which seems hard to believe. Heck and Titus faced off in 2010, where Heck pulled off a narrow 48-47 win. Reid and the DSCC are both supporting Masto so we probably won't see a Heck-Titus rematch next year in any case.