Nevada Sen. Dean Heller announced Thursday that he will run for re-election to the U.S. Senate, deciding against a bid for the Nevada governorship, which is occupied by fellow Republican Brian Sandoval.
In a statement, Heller called the possibility of serving as the state’s next governorship an “enormous honor,” but decided he would run for re-election because the Senate is where he “can do the most good” for the Silver State.
“My family and I have put much thought and prayer in considering the best way to serve the state that we love. I believe serving and running for re-election as Nevada’s senior Senator is where I can do the most good and have the biggest impact for Nevada,” Heller wrote.
“Serving as governor would be an enormous honor, but I am looking forward to being Nevada’s strongest voice on Capitol Hill,” he added.
Heller has served since 2011, when Sandoval appointed him to the seat after former Sen. John Ensign resigned from the upper chamber amid an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee into an affair with an aide and an attempt to cover it up. He won re-election in 2012.
The Nevada Republican is also set to hold one of only eight Republican-controlled seats that are up for re-election in 2018, while Democrats have to defend 23 seats, including 10 seats residing in states won by President-elect Trump last month.
Other Republicans who could potentially seek to replace Sandoval are Rep. Mark Amodei, Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison, and Attorney General Adam Laxalt.
