•NV-Sen: Well, this would be good news for the GOP. Rep. Joe Heck had initially ruled out running for this open seat and even when he began publicly reconsidering, he still seemed unlikely to go for it. But Jon Ralston tells us that while nothing has been decided, Heck is "moving closer to a bid."
Besides Gov. Brian Sandoval, who is incredibly reluctant to run, Heck is probably the state's most formidable Republican. Heck is a great fundraiser and he's easily held his swing seat in the last two cycles. Heck also has a reputation as a moderate that could come in handy during a statewide bid. But while other centrist-looking Republicans might need to watch their back in a primary, Heck has done a good job staying on good terms with conservative groups, and he's likely to clear the field if he jumps in. While conservative Las Vegas Councilor Bob Beers might stay in, he probably isn't strong enough to be little more than a speed bump for Heck.
Still, it's far from inevitable that Heck goes for a promotion, and Roll Call's Alexis Levinson checks in with some other potential GOP contenders. While Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison has been mentioned as a potential contender, Sen. and NRSC Vice Chair Dean Heller tells Roll Call that he's "not interested." Former Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki has talked about running, but GOP sources are convinced he won't make a serious bid for this seat.
State Senate Majority Leader Michael Roberson has looked likely to run for the Senate for a while, but he'd reportedly defer to Heck. Former Assemblywoman and ex-Sandoval chief of staff Heidi Gansert is another potential candidate, but only if Heck stays out. The eventual GOP nominee is likely to face former Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, who has consolidated support from national Democrats, though Rep. Dina Titus has been talking about jumping in.