Nevada Sen. Dean Heller is one of the few Senate Republicans Democrats can realistically target next year, but so far, no credible Democrats have stepped forward to challenge him. In fact, until this week, no Democrats even publicly expressed interest in challenging Heller at all. However, Rep. Dina Titus tells The National Journal that she’s considering. However, Titus would need to give up her safely blue Las Vegas House seat for a risky bid against Heller, a well-funded incumbent who won a very difficult race in 2012 even as Obama was decisively carrying Nevada.
Democratic insiders mention a number of other names to the National Journal. They name-drop ex-Secretary of State Ross Miller, who narrowly lost a race for attorney general during the 2014 GOP wave; ex-Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones Blackhurst, who left office in 1999 and currently works for Caesars Entertainment; ex-state Treasurer Kate Marshall, who narrowly lost the 2014 secretary of state race; state Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford, who is reportedly considering running for governor; ex-Rep. Steven Horsford, who lost his seat in 2014 after one term; and freshmen Reps. Jacky Rosen and Ruben Kihuen.
A source close to Kihuen told National Journal that the congressman is “focused on his current job,” but the source didn’t rule out a bid. However, none of the other prospective candidates have done anything to indicate what they’re thinking. Over at the Nevada Independent, Jon Ralston takes a look at the potential field. Ralston writes that local insiders doubt Titus will give up her safe seat in the end, though Titus will take a look at the political climate is blowing. But he adds that Kihuen could be persuaded to leave behind his light blue House seat and run for the Senate “[i]f Trump’s numbers are terrible, and Heller seems weak.” There’s no word if Rosen is at all interested, though Ralston notes that she’ll be a GOP target anyway in 2018 in her swingy seat, and she may just decide she has a better shot against Heller.
Blackhurst and Marshall at least seem to want to return to office, though Ralston believes that Marshall “may not be the party’s first choice here.” He doesn’t elaborate, though national Democrats may have unhappy memories of Marshall from her 2011 special election bid for the 2nd Congressional District. Marshall raised a ton of money but lost to Republican Mark Amodei by a brutal 58-36 margin. The 2nd is Nevada’s most conservative seat and Obama had weak approval ratings at the time, but Marshall made a few avoidable mistakes. Ralston also name-drops rich guy Steven Cloobeck, though he’s reportedly already said he’ll run for governor. However, Ralston believes that Horsford and Miller are happy at their new jobs, while Ford seems far more interested in running for governor or attorney general.
The National Journal also notes one other big question for Nevada in 2018. Now-former Sen. Harry Reid built a formidable Democratic voter turnout machine over the years that helped Team Blue win across the board last year on an otherwise awful election night. However, no one’s sure what role Reid will play in 2018, or how well the machine will work in a non-presidential cycle without Reid on the ballot.