Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., picked up the endorsement of a leading Latino activist who originally supported Heck’s opponent in the race for retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s seat.

“It is clear we need to change our fiscal policies in Washington, D.C., or else the country and Nevada will slip back into recession,” Otto Merida, the founder of the Latin Chamber of Commerce, said Monday. “As someone who owned and ran a small business, Dr. Heck understands what it takes to create jobs.”