Concerned Veterans endorses Joe Heck in US Senate race

Concerned Veterans for America has endorsed U.S. Rep. Joe Heck in Nevada’s U.S. Senate race.

It’s a rare move that’s a departure from the nonprofit advocacy group’s historical practice of policy advocacy and educating voters on where candidates stand on issues without endorsing them. It’s the first election cycle for the group to endorse candidates.

The group is putting muscle behind its endorsement to support Heck. By Election Day, the group’s volunteers will have knocked on more than 20,000 doors in Nevada and placed more than 150,000 phone calls in Nevada.

It is rolling out a six-figure effort that includes door knocking, digital ads and phone calls.

Concerned Veterans for America is among the organizations backed by conservative billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.

Heck, a Republican, is facing Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, a former Nevada attorney general. The two are squaring off for the seat of outgoing Senate Minority leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

It’s a race that could determine whether Republicans continue to have the majority in the Senate.

Concerned Veterans says poor conditions at the Department of Veterans Affairs are prompting much-needed reforms. It cited Heck’s background as a brigadier general in the Army Reserve who served in Iraq and his work on veterans legislation in its endorsement.

“Ultimately, this decision is not based around any desire to effect a short-term political outcome,” said Dan Caldwell, the group’s vice president of policy and communications. “This was driven by what we believe needs to happen to advance our policy agenda specifically around advancing substantial reforms at the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

Concerned Veterans has six staffers and about 350 volunteers in Nevada who will be reaching out to voters in the weeks ahead to advocate for Heck.

“This is something that we do not take lightly,” Caldwell said. “This is an extraordinary step for Concerns Veterans for America.”

The group previously launched $700,000 in ads that highlighted Heck’s work on veterans issues in Congress without endorsing him.

Concerned Veterans has also announced its endorsement of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who are running for re-election.

Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904. Follow @BenBotkin1 on Twitter.