Nevada GOP Congressman Dean Heller Launches Bid for Ensign Seat

You are here: Blog / Nevada GOP Congressman Dean Heller Launches Bid for Ensign Seat

5:19 PM, Mar 15, 2011 • By JOHN MCCORMACK

Single Page Print Larger Text Smaller Text Alerts

Representative Dean Heller, Republican of Nevada, said on Tuesday that he will run for the Senate seat being vacated by Senator John Ensign next year.

Mr. Ensign, a Republican, announced he would not run for reelection after being dogged by a sex scandal involving an affair he had with a staffer. Mr. Heller, a former secretary of state, made his intentions clear in an e-mail message to supporters.

Heller is a conservative who represents Nevada's second district, which encompasses everywhere in Nevada outside of Las Vegas and its suburbs. That should put him in a good position to win the nomination. But it's worth keeping an eye on the Nevada GOP senate primary if a die-hard Tea Partier enters the race.