Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
By Karoun Demirjian (contact) 
Friday, April 15, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.
Shelley Berkley
Dean Heller
John Ensign
Sun coverage
Sun archives
- Rep. Shelley Berkley enters race for U.S. Senate (4-14-2011)
- Lively primary race shaping up for Dean Heller’s House seat (3-16-2011)
- Heller announces for Senate, takes shots at Obama, TARP and spending (3-15-2011)
- Heller preparing for Republican primary in U.S. Senate race (3-15-2011)
- As Berkley eyes Ensign’s Senate seat, Legislature sharpens redistricting knife (3-13-2011)
- Hearings begin on Nevada redistricting (3-10-2011)
- John Ensign will retire after term to avoid ‘exceptionally ugly’ campaign (3-7-2011)
- Even before first redistricting plan is presented, Democrats make first legal move in Carson City court (2-24-2011)
- Dean Heller’s message: Senate seat is mine to lose (2-16-2011)
- Rep. Dean Heller takes poll, leads Sen. John Ensign by 15, inches closer to announcement (2-15-2011)
- Way political maps are drawn leaves some constituents isolated (1-16-2011)
- Battle taking shape over redrawing state’s political map (12-22-2010)
- GOP blames gerrymandering for Democrat hold on Legislature (8-26-2010)
- Upcoming redistricting battle likely to boost Southern Nevada’s influence (7-25-2010)
The race to replace outgoing Sen. John Ensign’s seat is all but locked in for 2012, following Rep. Shelley Berkley’s announcement Thursday that she would run.
“This race is about a clear choice for Nevada’s future,” she said in her formal announcement. “While Dean Heller is proudly fighting on behalf of the Tea Party to dismantle Medicare and Social Security and protect corporations that ship American jobs overseas, I will continue working on behalf of Nevada’s middle-class families by creating good-paying jobs and keeping our promises to seniors.”
The primaries are more than a year off, but Berkley’s decision largely renders them superfluous: Her announcement will likely keep other serious Democratic challengers, such as state Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, from entering the race. Cortez Masto has said that she would not consider a bid unless Berkley passed.
Berkley said she suspects her rumored challengers “will all be very supportive of my decision.”
There’s a similar dynamic in the Republican ranks: After Heller announced his candidacy last month, expected challenger Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, along with Gov. Brian Sandoval, closed ranks, sending the message that a primary fight would hurt the party’s chances of holding the seat.
Berkley seems to have already secured the blessing of the national Democratic campaign apparatus.
"Our polls show her up and winning," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray told reporters at a briefing in Washington. The committee had traveled to Nevada in recent months to meet with other potential Democratic candidates, making Murray's endorsement even more final.
Berkley’s campaign released internal polling last month that showed the congresswoman beating Heller in a head-to-head Senate matchup by about 4 points.
But Heller’s internal polling from a few months earlier showed that he would best Berkley by double digits.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee leapt on Berkley on Thursday, criticizing her as a “rubber-stamp liberal vote” and making a point to not acknowledge her as the candidate to beat.
“Shelley Berkley’s candidacy highlights the choice Nevadans will have in this Senate campaign between yet another big-government, tax-and-spend liberal and a fiscally responsible Republican,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Brian Walsh said. “If Congresswoman Berkley does survive what is sure to be a very expensive primary, she will have a very tough time selling mainstream Nevadans on her rubber-stamp support for higher taxes, more spending and a record debt, at a time when Nevadans are focused on creating jobs and growing the economy.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, chief kingmaker in the Nevada Democratic Party, also offered his support to Berkley, calling her a “visionary with a commitment to creating jobs, protecting programs seniors count on and getting our economy back on track.
“Shelley has been a dependable partner in the House and I look forward to her partnership in the Senate as we work together to move Nevada forward,” Reid said.
Still, Berkley will face one well-funded primary opponent: attorney Byron Georgiou, who has so far put $500,000 of his own money into his campaign, raising a total of $1.1 million in the first quarter. Unless party leaders can convince Georgiou otherwise, Berkley will be forced to spend money to win the primary before facing Heller in the general election.
If the race between Berkley and Heller proceeds as expected, voters will see the sharp contrasts in their styles as candidates, political bases and votes on issues before Congress.
Berkley has backed President Barack Obama’s stimulus and health care initiatives; like most other Republicans, Heller hasn’t. Heller’s also given his preliminary support to the fiscal 2012 budget proposal that would turn Medicare into a subsidized voucher and block-grant program and reduce state Medicaid funding; Berkley’s taken every possible opportunity to rail against it.
They’ve broken from their parties at similar junctures too. Unlike most Republicans, Heller voted against the budget compromise that Republican and Democratic leaders struck late last week to avoid a government shutdown; Berkley supported it, which was what a minority of Democrats did in the House.
Compared with most House Democrats, Berkley has been conservative on taxes: She wants to eliminate Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy, in keeping with Obama’s position; but last December, she was the House Democrats’ loudest voice advocating for reductions in estate taxes. Heller supports lowering taxes on all fronts.
Then, there’s the geographic differences. Berkley and her district are firmly rooted in Las Vegas, while Heller’s foothold is in the broader, more rural north. Berkley has made several pre-campaign trips to parts of Heller’s district in the past few months to introduce herself to voters; Heller’s challenge remains making himself better known to Las Vegas-area voters.
Finally, there are personal differences. Berkley is small but her style is big, intense, and at times, flashy; by comparison, Heller’s height is belied by a more laid-back style.
None of that has been too visible because so far their campaigns haven’t moved much past news releases. Once they start, there’s bound to be tangible differences of approach: Berkley embraces media attention, Heller regularly eschews it.
On Thursday though, Heller released this statement in response to Berkley’s announcement, in which he didn’t really acknowledge Berkley as an opponent.
“This race is about the future of Nevada and our country,” he said. “Do we continue down the same path that led to record unemployment, high gas prices and maintains the status quo, or do we chart a new direction that makes government accountable and responsible to the people? There is no doubt that this will be a tough race regardless of who enters it, but I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead.”
But even if their official statements are noncommittal, Republicans seem to have the same mind-set about this election as Democrats: The field is set, so let the games begin.
“I think (Berkley) is likely to be the Democrats’ nominee,” NRSC Chairman Sen. John Cornyn told the Las Vegas Sun. “So you’ll hear more from us on that as we go.”
That’s an awfully long campaign calendar for a race that seems so locked in place.
Heller’s declaration was rushed by Ensign’s decision in early March to withdraw from the 2012 race. Heller, who had been indicating he wouldn’t make his decision until midyear, declared his Senate intentions a week later.
Similarly, Berkley had been saying she wouldn’t announce her decision until early summer. But the political climate created by the budget debates, which have highlighted contrasts between herself and Heller, was enough to bring Berkley to a conclusion Thursday.
That the DSCC, and Reid, who had been cagey about their preferred candidates to this point, came out with such emphatic endorsements of Berkley before the primary field has even been cleared hints at how important this race is to both parties.
Democrats hold the Senate by a slim majority of three seats — two of which are held by independents who caucus with the Democratic Party. In 2012, 23 of the 53 Democrat and Democrat-leaning independent seats in the Senate are coming up for election, compared with just 10 seats held by Republicans.
So if it’s close, the difference between a Democratic and a Republican majority — and the difference between Reid losing or keeping his job as majority leader — could come down to the Berkley-Heller race.
All Shelley Berkely has to do is keep his mouth shut and let Dean Heller talk about the extreme agenda of his party!!! Slam dunk win for Berkely.
it's time southern nevadans wake the eff up...
our friends to the north laugh their @$$es off at us...
we generate all the money...
and they spend it...
pure bull$#!^...
regardless of whether you are red or blue...
you must vote southern...
VOTE BERKELY!!!
I think I'll change my party afflication to Democrat just to be able to vote against Berkley's big government platform. Byron Georgiou is the "man' and Heller will stomp him come general election day. Especially if Berkley and Byron have to spend like drunken sailors to win the primary.
Go Tea Party!
I notice the Republican Party never mentions the 800 pound gorilla in the room.
Ensign.
This Senate Seat is going to the Democratic Party here in Nevada.
After Heller announced, I looked at his voting record. It's atrocious. He serves himself and his party, not Nevada. Don't matter if he's Tea Party, moderate, fanatical right wing or do nothing, he is nothing but bad news for the populace of Nevada. All we'd get is pain, suffering, misery and have to unwillingly participate in the recent Republican Party madness of "corporate welfare."
Besides that, Sandoval/Krolicki both came out to support him running. This spells more doom for his electability. Because if elected, those two would require Heller to participate in the Great Republican Party Power Mad Over Reach of 2011 fully.
We can't afford another useless Ensign.
The Republicans had their shot at serving Nevada. They blew it. We've had enough. If Heller gets elected, there would be no break in action from the disgraced Ensign's reign. Heller would just accept the cape, don it and continue on while all of us here in Nevada roll our eyes, shake our heads and marvel at more incredible go-nowhere stupidity.
We're taking this Senate Seat.
I have to admit that I would rather have Attorney General Cortez Masto run, but I honor her willingness to not run against Berkley. I wish Berkley the best.
It's hers to take.
I, for one, am going to make sure that happens. To get us slowly out of this Republican hell of our own making.
Masto might have done better.
Heller wants to cut the FAA, cut funding to rural airports and make Seniors eat dog food.
Heck was on FOX's Hannity with GOP lie master Frank Luntz and the other freshman, but they didn't put his name up. He said something about the "bond purchasers may not by the bonds...blah, blah.." Which shows he doesn't understand the bond market. I could see Heck trying to have it both ways. Cater to the talk radio Fox nuts and then back off in other forums. Heller must exercise the same split personality.
Northern Nevada is not that conservative any more, Mr. Heller.
Comment removed by moderator. Personal attack.
Berkley should stop cutting Penny Saver coupons for her plastic surgery. The New York socialist transplant can win her district with union thugs, illegal aliens and welfare bums, but not the state. Oh, unless she can cheat like Harry Reid. Any bus owners heard from Harrahs or MGM for charter runs to the polls?
Amazing how these two assume it is their God given right to be the party candidate.
Time to Vote ALL Republicans Out of Office at ALL Levels.
At the Federal Level they want to Turn Medicare into a Voucher System,Eliminate Medicaid(which many Seniors in Nursing Homes rely on, Cut the FAA, EPA, etc..... Please READ the Ryan Plan for which every Republican Congressman Voted for!
On the State Public School Level - They want a Voucher System and have 45 student class sizes. Cut an already second tier university system. Refuse to tax Internationally owned Mines.
On the Local Level.
They have absolutely no plan for a recovery except more business tax cuts. Regardless of the economic impact of these give-aways.
The same group that came together for Harry will come together for Shelly and we'll just have fun watching the Corporate Koch(pronounced 'Coke') Brothers Tea Party crowd go into another frenzy.
If Republicans think GE, Exxon, VERIZON. Bank of America should Pay NO Taxes and Billionaires should pay less - let them defend it and let the Fun Begin.
All I see are ridiculous attack ads against Berkley- I honestly didn't even know who she was running against.. I had to google it!!!!!!! lol
Berkley doesn't seem so bad. I want to vote for her. I am a little concerned, however, that she will spend most of her time in office planning which plastic surgery procedure to have next!!