Sources close to Dean Heller have told the Nevada News Bureau that the Congressman will seek the US Senate seat currently held by Senator John Ensign who recently announced that he will retire and not run for re-election in 2012.
While Heller has yet to make a formal announcement his release of an internal poll last month which showed him beating all Democratic opponents in a General Election indicated that he has a strong desire to run. And now that Ensign has pulled out, the job of winning the GOP primary has been made much easier for him and would allow him to focus most of his campaign contributions against his opponent during the run for the General Election.
For the Democrats, all eyes are currently watching and waiting to see what Congresswoman Shelley Berkley’s decision will be. Berkley who represents Nevada’s 1st congressional district is well liked and the district itself leans democrat.
Berkley has not yet made any decision, the congresswoman is also running internal polling to see how well she would due in a Statewide race. Berkley said she would announce her plans this coming summer.
If Berkley decides not to run the Democrats have three other well qualified and well liked candidates that have run and won statewide races. Secretary of State Ross Miller, State Treasurer Kate Marshall, and State Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto.
At least two other republicans are waiting in the wings to run for Heller’s congressional (CD2) seat once he makes it official. Lt. Governor Brian Krolicki and Sharron Angle. Angle may even try too challenge Heller for the Senate seat, she is unpredictable to say the least so we will have to wait and see what she does.
President Obama who won Nevada by 13 points in 2008 will be at the top of the ticket for 2012. During election years with the President’s seat up for grabs, voter turn out is much larger then the mid-term elections. If the Republican nominee for President is someone like Sarah Palin who is polarizing and disliked by most Americans outside of her base, the Democrats across the country from the top of the ticket on down, should do very well.