Today, on his Facebook page, Senator Dean Heller announced:
“My family and I have put much thought and prayer in considering the best way to serve the state that we love. I believe serving and running for re-election as Nevada’s senior Senator is where I can do the most good and have the biggest impact for Nevada. Serving as governor would be an enormous honor, but I am looking forward to being Nevada’s strongest voice on Capitol Hill.”
Nevada State Democratic Party Chair Roberta Lange released the following statement on Republican Senator Dean Heller’s announcement that he will attempt to win re-election in 2018:
“Dean Heller has no core, and he’s shown over and over again that he will always say whatever’s politically expedient and change positions to suit his audience. He may have been too chicken to run for governor, but he’ll be coming home either way after he loses re-election in 2018. The reality is that as Senator, Dean Heller has skated by as a sub-par and lazy Washington politician with the lack of work product to show for it. He toes the Republican line of gridlock and obstruction at the expense of Nevada, and his approach to the incoming Administration has been no different. Senator Heller has been cravenly silent on Donald Trump’s rigged Cabinet picks and the disturbing conflicts of interest to make Trump and his family rich. Nevada families deserve a champion who will fight for them in the U.S. Senate, not a coward.”
“Dean Heller is the only Republican Senator up for re-election in a state where Democrats won decisively this year. Nevadans just elected a new Democratic Senator in 2016, and we’re going to do it again next cycle.”
So, that takes Heller out of consideration for Nevada’s 2017 Gubernatorial race, leaving it open for a rumored run by Rep. Mark Amodei for Governor, if he’s able to make through the primary where Attorney General Adam Laxalt and Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison are also rumored to have an eye on winning that seat.