Dean Heller
Encyclopedia
Dean A. Heller is the junior United States Senator
from Nevada
and a member of the Republican Party. Heller was appointed by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval
to a vacant seat created by the resignation of John Ensign
. He was previously a member of the United States House of Representatives
, representing from 2007 to 2011. Prior to that he served as Secretary of State of Nevada
(1994–2006) and a member of the Nevada Assembly
(1990–1994). He announced that he will run in the 2012 election
for the United States Senate
seat to which he was appointed.
—moving there from his birthplace of Castro Valley, California
, at the age of 9 months—and a graduate of Carson High School
. He earned a Bachelor's Degree
in Business Administration, specializing in finance and securities analysis, from the University of Southern California
in 1985.
Heller was a founding board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada and the Western Nevada Community College Foundation. He is an advisory board member for Nevada's Foster Grandparent program.
Heller is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prior to entering politics, Heller worked as an institutional stockbroker and as a broker/trader on the Pacific Stock Exchange
.
Heller and his wife, Lynne, have four children, Hilary, Harris, Drew, and Emmy, as well as a son-in-law, Edward Ableser, who is married to Hilary. Heller is the son of famed stock car driver Jack "Blackjack" Heller.
from 1990 to 1994. While in this legislature, Heller authored a bill to reform state retirement pensions. He represented the capital, Carson City
.
in 1994, and was re-elected in 1998 and 2002, served in this capacity from 1995 to 2006—when he was elected to the United States House of Representatives
.
As secretary
, Heller made Nevada the first state in the nation to implement an auditable paper trail to electronic voting machines.
The Secretary of State of Nevada is the third highest-ranking constitutional officer in the State—serving as the state's chief elections officer. The office includes the elections division, commercial recordings division, securities fraud division and the notary division. The Secretary is also is an ex-officio member of Nevada's Board of Examiners (which includes the governor and attorney general), State Prison Board, and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
for the congressional seat being vacated by 10-year incumbent Jim Gibbons, who was running for governor. Heller received 24,781 votes to Assemblywoman Sharron Angle's
24,353. Dawn Gibbons
, a former State Assemblywoman and wife of the incumbent, finished third with 17,328 votes.
Heller defeated University of Nevada
Regent and Democratic
candidate Jill Derby
in the November general election by 5 percent. Heller lost Washoe County
, home to Reno and by far the largest county in the district (it casts more than 70 percent of the district's vote). However, he won most of the rural areas of the district by margins of 2-to-1 or more, allowing him to win the district by 12,600 votes. Heller was almost certainly helped by the presence of Gibbons atop the ballot; Gibbons carried the 2nd by a landslide margin in his successful gubernatorial bid.
In 2009, Heller had been rumored to be a candidate to challenge embattled Republican
incumbent
Governor Jim Gibbons or Democratic
United States Senator
Harry Reid
in 2010. He declined to run for governor or senator, and instead chose to run for re-election.
to a vacant seat created by the resignation of John Ensign
. He assumed office upon his resignation from the U.S. House on May 9, 2011 after being sworn in.
Source: United States Senate
to succeed John Ensign after Ensign announced his retirement. Heller will run as the incumbent following his appointment to the seat by Governor Sandoval.
"I'm a Mormon
and I teach Sunday school
every week, but I do back a woman's right to choose abortion
. It is the conservative position." Since being elected to federal office, he has been consistently pro-life.
, proposed legislation that would effectively eliminate secret ballots in union organizing elections and subject employers and employees to mandatory arbitration when negotiating union contracts. In stating his objection to this proposed legislation, Heller said that it could cause the loss of 600,000 jobs within two years of enactment:
that created the Troubled Asset Relief Program (also known as TARP) to bailout the financial industry. Heller stated the reason he opposed this bill was:
Heller also opposed the Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act of 2008, also known as the auto bailout. Heller stated the reason he opposed this bill was:
of 2010. Heller issued the following statement explaining his vote:
During the debate prior to the federal healthcare law's passage, Heller led efforts to require two provisions be added to the federal health care law that would require:
Heller questioned the constitutionality of the law following its passage, and he called on Nevada Attorney General
Catherine Cortez Masto
to join a multi-state lawsuit challenging it.
On January 19, 2011, Heller voted to repeal the federal healthcare law.
Heller is the only person to have voted twice for Paul Ryan
's budget plan
. He voted for it in the House and again in the Senate.
that would have prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Heller is opposed to gay marriage.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and a member of the Republican Party. Heller was appointed by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval
Brian Sandoval
Brian Edward Sandoval is an American politician. He is the 29th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Nevada since January 3, 2011. Sandoval is a former judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada...
to a vacant seat created by the resignation of John Ensign
John Ensign
John Eric Ensign is a former United States Senator from Nevada, serving from January 2001 until he resigned amid an investigation of an ethics violation in May 2011...
. He was previously a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, representing from 2007 to 2011. Prior to that he served as Secretary of State of Nevada
Secretary of State of Nevada
The Secretary of State of Nevada is a statewide elected office in the State of Nevada. The secretary of state post is common to many U.S. states. In Nevada, it is a constitutional office The Secretary of State of Nevada is a statewide elected office in the State of Nevada. The secretary of state...
(1994–2006) and a member of the Nevada Assembly
Nevada Assembly
The Nevada Assembly is the lower house of the Nevada Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Nevada. The body consists of 42 members, elected to two-year terms from single-member districts. Each Assembly district contained approximately 47,400 people as of the 2000 census, although...
(1990–1994). He announced that he will run in the 2012 election
United States Senate election in Nevada, 2012
The 2012 United States Senate election in Nevada will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, alongside 33 other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives, and the 2012 United States presidential election. Incumbent...
for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat to which he was appointed.
Early life, education, and professional career
Heller is long time resident of Carson CityCarson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
—moving there from his birthplace of Castro Valley, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, at the age of 9 months—and a graduate of Carson High School
Carson High School (Carson City, Nevada)
Carson High School is a high school in Carson City, Nevada, United States.- Staff :As of July 23, 2011, the principal of Carson High School is Ron Beck...
. He earned a Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Business Administration, specializing in finance and securities analysis, from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in 1985.
Heller was a founding board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada and the Western Nevada Community College Foundation. He is an advisory board member for Nevada's Foster Grandparent program.
Heller is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prior to entering politics, Heller worked as an institutional stockbroker and as a broker/trader on the Pacific Stock Exchange
Pacific Exchange
The Pacific Exchange was, until 2001, a regional stock exchange with a main exchange floor and building in San Francisco, California, USA and a branch in Los Angeles, California, USA. Its history began with the founding of the San Francisco Stock and Bond Exchange in 1882 and the Los Angeles Oil...
.
Heller and his wife, Lynne, have four children, Hilary, Harris, Drew, and Emmy, as well as a son-in-law, Edward Ableser, who is married to Hilary. Heller is the son of famed stock car driver Jack "Blackjack" Heller.
Early political career
Heller served as the Chief Deputy State Treasurer prior to his election to the Nevada Assembly.Assembly
He served two terms in the Nevada AssemblyNevada Assembly
The Nevada Assembly is the lower house of the Nevada Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Nevada. The body consists of 42 members, elected to two-year terms from single-member districts. Each Assembly district contained approximately 47,400 people as of the 2000 census, although...
from 1990 to 1994. While in this legislature, Heller authored a bill to reform state retirement pensions. He represented the capital, Carson City
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
.
Secretary of State
Heller was elected Secretary of State of NevadaSecretary of State of Nevada
The Secretary of State of Nevada is a statewide elected office in the State of Nevada. The secretary of state post is common to many U.S. states. In Nevada, it is a constitutional office The Secretary of State of Nevada is a statewide elected office in the State of Nevada. The secretary of state...
in 1994, and was re-elected in 1998 and 2002, served in this capacity from 1995 to 2006—when he was elected to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
As secretary
Secretary of State (U.S. state government)
Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the Secretary of the Commonwealth...
, Heller made Nevada the first state in the nation to implement an auditable paper trail to electronic voting machines.
The Secretary of State of Nevada is the third highest-ranking constitutional officer in the State—serving as the state's chief elections officer. The office includes the elections division, commercial recordings division, securities fraud division and the notary division. The Secretary is also is an ex-officio member of Nevada's Board of Examiners (which includes the governor and attorney general), State Prison Board, and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
U.S. House of Representatives
Heller announced his candidacy in 2005. On August 15, 2006, he narrowly won the Republican primaryPrimary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for the congressional seat being vacated by 10-year incumbent Jim Gibbons, who was running for governor. Heller received 24,781 votes to Assemblywoman Sharron Angle's
Sharron Angle
Sharron Elaine Angle is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Nevada Assembly from 1999 to 2007. She ran unsuccessfully as the 2010 Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in Nevada, garnering 45 percent of the vote...
24,353. Dawn Gibbons
Dawn Gibbons
Dawn Gibbons is an American politician from Nevada. She is known for being the wife of Governor Jim Gibbons, although they were divorced on July 21, 2010.-Early and personal life:...
, a former State Assemblywoman and wife of the incumbent, finished third with 17,328 votes.
Heller defeated University of Nevada
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
Regent and Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate Jill Derby
Jill Derby
Jill Talbot Derby served from 1988 to 2006 as an elected Regent for the Nevada System of Higher Education, serving three terms as Board Chair. She ran as the Democratic candidate for the open seat of Nevada's 2nd congressional district in the 2006 election, losing but gaining national attention by...
in the November general election by 5 percent. Heller lost Washoe County
Washoe County, Nevada
Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
, home to Reno and by far the largest county in the district (it casts more than 70 percent of the district's vote). However, he won most of the rural areas of the district by margins of 2-to-1 or more, allowing him to win the district by 12,600 votes. Heller was almost certainly helped by the presence of Gibbons atop the ballot; Gibbons carried the 2nd by a landslide margin in his successful gubernatorial bid.
In 2009, Heller had been rumored to be a candidate to challenge embattled Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Governor Jim Gibbons or Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
in 2010. He declined to run for governor or senator, and instead chose to run for re-election.
U.S. Senate
Heller was appointed by Nevada Governor Brian SandovalBrian Sandoval
Brian Edward Sandoval is an American politician. He is the 29th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Nevada since January 3, 2011. Sandoval is a former judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada...
to a vacant seat created by the resignation of John Ensign
John Ensign
John Eric Ensign is a former United States Senator from Nevada, serving from January 2001 until he resigned amid an investigation of an ethics violation in May 2011...
. He assumed office upon his resignation from the U.S. House on May 9, 2011 after being sworn in.
Committee assignments
- Special Committee on AgingUnited States Senate Special Committee on AgingThe United States Senate Special Committee on Aging was initially established in 1961 as a temporary committee; it became a permanent Senate committee in 1977...
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesUnited States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesThe United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has jurisdiction over matters related to energy and nuclear waste policy, territorial policy, native Hawaiian matters, and public lands....
Source: United States Senate
2012 election
Dean Heller announced that he will run for the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
to succeed John Ensign after Ensign announced his retirement. Heller will run as the incumbent following his appointment to the seat by Governor Sandoval.
Abortion
In 2006, Heller told the Las Vegas Review-JournalLas Vegas Review-Journal
The Las Vegas Review-Journal is published in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada, and one of two daily newspapers in Las Vegas . It is the flagship publication of Stephens Media LLC...
"I'm a Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
and I teach Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
every week, but I do back a woman's right to choose abortion
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
. It is the conservative position." Since being elected to federal office, he has been consistently pro-life.
Card check
Heller opposes the Employee Free Choice ActEmployee Free Choice Act
The Employee Free Choice Act was a legislative bill that was introduced into both chambers of the U.S. Congress on March 10, 2009. The bill's purpose was to,...
, proposed legislation that would effectively eliminate secret ballots in union organizing elections and subject employers and employees to mandatory arbitration when negotiating union contracts. In stating his objection to this proposed legislation, Heller said that it could cause the loss of 600,000 jobs within two years of enactment:
- "This legislation at its core will threaten American jobs and harm small and large businesses alike that are already struggling to make ends meet. In fact, a recent economic study found that if the Employee Free Choice Act becomes law, 600,000 jobs could be lost by the end of 2010. Our country and Nevada cannot afford this. Any further job losses created by the Employee Free Choice Act would be devastating to Nevada workers who in some communities are facing unemployment rates as high as 15.1%."
Energy
Heller has voted in support of the development of domestic oil, gas and coal. (Nevada has no in-state reserves of any of these fuels.) He has voted against the tax policies subsidizing the development of renewable energy.Government bailouts
Heller opposed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Division A of , commonly referred to as a bailout of the U.S. financial system, is a law enacted in response to the subprime mortgage crisis...
that created the Troubled Asset Relief Program (also known as TARP) to bailout the financial industry. Heller stated the reason he opposed this bill was:
- "The core of this legislation is still flawed and puts Nevada's taxpayers on the hook to pay for a massive bailout of Wall Street. There are solutions to this problem that do not place current taxpayers and future generations at risk or push our country further in debt."
Heller also opposed the Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act of 2008, also known as the auto bailout. Heller stated the reason he opposed this bill was:
- "Another month, another bailout. Congress is asking the American people again to bailout another industry in these tough economic times. Congress should focus on real economic reforms that generate jobs instead of continuing to bailout individual industries with taxpayer dollars. This is nothing more than a band aid that does not fix the much larger economic problems we have in our country."
Healthcare reform
Heller voted against H.R. 3590 and H.R. 4872 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care ActPatient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
of 2010. Heller issued the following statement explaining his vote:
- "Today Congress did a great disservice to the American people. By choosing ideology over their constituency, Congress has empowered the federal government to take control of individual health care choices. Those who voted for this measure stood up for political buyoffs and special deals that benefit a small few while sticking the majority of Americans with higher taxes and higher health care costs. For our children and grandchildren, we will be passing on record debt and lower quality of life. At a time when Americans are asking for jobs, Congress has decided to deliver bigger government and less opportunity."
During the debate prior to the federal healthcare law's passage, Heller led efforts to require two provisions be added to the federal health care law that would require:
- The use of citizenship verification tools to determine eligibility for taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits
- Members of Congress to join any government-run healthcare plan proposed in early versions of the healthcare law.
Heller questioned the constitutionality of the law following its passage, and he called on Nevada Attorney General
Nevada Attorney General
The Nevada Attorney General is the top legal officer for the state of Nevada. The functions of the office are set forth in Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 228. The Attorney General represents the people of Nevada in civil and criminal matters before trial, appellate and the supreme courts of...
Catherine Cortez Masto
Catherine Cortez Masto
Catherine Cortez Masto is an American politician. She is the current Attorney General of Nevada. She was elected to replace George Chanos. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
to join a multi-state lawsuit challenging it.
On January 19, 2011, Heller voted to repeal the federal healthcare law.
Heller is the only person to have voted twice for Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan may refer to:* Paul Ryan , member of the U.S. House of Representatives* Paul Ryan , music agent for The Agency, former Cradle of Filth guitarist* Paul Ryan , comics artist...
's budget plan
The Path to Prosperity
The Path to Prosperity was the Republican Party's budget proposal for the year 2012. It competed with budget proposals outlined separately by President Barack Obama. and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The Republican proposal was formalized and passed by the House of Representatives on...
. He voted for it in the House and again in the Senate.
Gay Marriage
In 2007 Heller voted against the Employment Non-discrimination ActEmployment Non-Discrimination Act
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act is a proposed bill in the United States Congress that would prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity by civilian, nonreligious employers with at least 15 employees.ENDA has been introduced in every...
that would have prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Heller is opposed to gay marriage.
Minimum wage
Heller voted against increasing the federal minimum wage and providing tax breaks for small businesses.Western issues
During his tenure in the House, Heller was Vice Chairman of the Western Caucus, playing a leading role in advocating for issues that impact western U.S. states.External links
- Senator Dean Heller official Senate site
- Dean Heller for Senate official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...