Berkley, Heck, Rory: No plans to run for Reid Senate seat

And then there were … plenty of people who might run for retiring U.S. Sen. Harry Reid’s Senate seat.

But not former U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., U.S. Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., or the senator’s son, Rory Reid.

Each said on Tuesday they have no interest in seeking the Democratic minority leader’s open seat, which will be a hot commodity in the 2016 election and could help decide whether Democrats recapture control of the upper house.

“I’m not even considering” running, Reid told the Review-Journal. “I’m happy with my life.”

Rory Reid lost a gubernatorial race in 2010 to GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval then retired from politics.

Berkley said her phone has been “ringing off the hook” since Harry Reid, 75, announced Friday that he would retire rather than run for a sixth Senate term. But she said she’s happy in her current job as CEO and senior provost of Touro University Nevada and Touro University California.

“Over the last several days I have received many calls and inquiries regarding Senator Reid’s retirement and whether or not I have any plans to run for the United States Senate,” she said in a statement. “The answer to that is no.”

Heck said Reid’s decision hasn’t changed his plans to stay in the House, where he has represented the 3rd Congressional District in Clark County since 2011. Instead, he’s expecting to run for a fourth, two-year term in 2016. Heck has been telling people it was no surprise to him that Reid retired, although the senator had long insisted he would seek re-election.

Reid on Friday endorsed former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto to replace him. She’s considering the campaign after being termed out following two, four-year terms as the state’s top law enforcement official. If she runs and wins she would be Nevada’s first female senator and first Hispanic to serve in the state’s congressional delegation.

With Berkley and Heck bowing out (for now — Heck could be persuaded to reconsider), plenty of potential candidates remain in the wings.

Among Democratic prospects are U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, former Secretary of State Ross Miller, former Assemblywoman Lucy Flores of Las Vegas, former Treasurer Kate Marshall, and Steve Sisolak, chairman of the Clark County Commission.

On the Republican side, the dream GOP candidate is Gov. Brian Sandoval, who has expressed no interest in running for the Senate, even since Reid’s announcement. Instead, he has said he wants to complete his second, four-year term, which is up in 2018, when he could run for another office. He also could be tapped as a vice presidential candidate, a member of a GOP administration’s Cabinet or for another judicial post. He was a federal judge before running for governor.

Las Vegas City Councilman Bob Beers, a Republican, already has announced he’s running for Reid’s seat. Other GOP prospects include former Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, current Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison, Nevada Senate Majority Leader Michael Roberson of Las Vegas, Attorney General Adam Laxalt, U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei and Treasurer Dan Schwartz.

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919. Find her on Twitter: @lmyerslvrj.