Heller seeking to lead 2016 GOP recruitment

WASHINGTON — As Republicans were taking a victory lap after scoring the Senate majority in midterm elections, Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada on Wednesday confirmed he will seek to lead the GOP effort to keep the majority in 2016.

Heller is campaigning to become chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, spokesman Neal Patel confirmed. GOP senators will select a new campaign leader after they return to Washington next week for the lame-duck session.

Reports of Heller’s interest in the job have circulated for the past several weeks. It is being acknowledged now that the 2014 elections are over and the 2016 campaigns are about to begin.

Heller, who was appointed to the Senate in 2011 and won election in 2012 to a six-year Senate term, could be pitted against Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi for the high-profile leadership post.

At an election night party, Wicker told reporters he would “like to try” for the job, according to CQ Roll Call, a news outlet that covers Capitol Hill.

Wicker, who has been in the Senate since December 2007, did not immediately respond Wednesday to a query through his office on his interest.

Sen.-elect Steve Daines, a House member who won election in Montana on Tuesday, also is being mentioned for the post,

The NRSC chairman recruits candidates for the Senate and helps them raise money and strategize during the campaign.

The job is expected to be a challenging one in 2016, as Republicans will be defending 24 out of 34 seats in a presidential year. As well, many of the seats are in states that President Barack Obama won in 2008 and 2012.

The top Republican target in 2016 is expected to be Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, which would pit the two senators from the Silver State.

In the campaign that just ended, Heller raised his profile in making more than $400,000 in contributions to a wide range of Republican senators, candidates, and party organizations both on the national and state levels.

Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas led the Republican Senatorial Committee this year but was not expected to do it again. If that’s the case, Moran exited on a high note after Republicans captured seven seats on election night.

Republican gains could gain as many as nine seats when vote-counting is completed in Alaska and once Louisiana holds a runoff election Dec. 6 between incumbent Democrat Sen. Mary Landrieu and Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy.

Republicans will enter the new Congress in January with a Senate majority of at least 52 seats.

Patel said Heller was traveling on Wednesday and was not available to talk about the position. The Washington Post, citing an unnamed source, said the Nevada Republican was going to start making calls to colleagues in search of support.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Find him on Twitter: @STetreaultDC.