Heller opens wallet wide for GOP hopefuls

WASHINGTON — If there’s going to be a Republican wave on Election Day, Sen. Dean Heller wants to ensure he’s got plenty of wax on his surfboard.

As the GOP strives to capture full control of Congress, the Republican from Nevada has opened his wallet wide for party candidates running for the Senate and a handful in the U.S. House. He’s distributed $268,000 among every Republican Senate incumbent running for re-election and challengers in all but a half-dozen races that are out of GOP reach.

Heller has pitched in to political organizations looking to influence federal races, including a sizable $50,000 donation to the Targeted State Victory Fund, a big-money effort that put him in the company of senior Republicans and Koch Industries, Home Depot and the National Rifle Association among other major donors.

He gave $15,000 to the Republican State Leadership Committee, which has funded advertisements in state races including campaigns for lieutenant governor and attorney general in Nevada.

Republican committees in Clark County and Washoe County have been given $2,000 apiece, and Nevada friends Cresent Hardy and Rep. Joe Heck were given $10,000 apiece for the U.S. House campaigns.

As of the most recent reporting period at the end of September, the Nevadan had spent $402,500 on fellow Republicans out of his Heller for Senate election fund and his personal political action committee, the HellerHighWater PAC. Aides said he continues to spend as the elections near, but they declined to say how much or where.

Generosity on the campaign trail is usually the sign of an ambitious politician looking to build relationships with an eye on climbing the ladder toward a Senate chairmanship or a position in the leadership, and that seems to be what Heller is doing, said Eric Herzik, political science professor at the University of Nevada, Reno.

“Oftentimes when people give this money to Senate colleagues or party candidates it is in anticipation that they are looking to build some sort of bridge to promote their own career,” Herzik said.

Herzik added it might seem unusual to be coming from Heller, who he described as still relatively junior with only three years in the Senate under his belt, “but it may reflect how committed and optimistic the Republicans are to gaining control of the Senate.”

Heller, who was appointed to the Senate in 2011 and won election in 2012, also has the relative luxury of not being up for re-election until 2018. This is the first cycle since he arrived in Congress in 2007 where he has not had to worry about his own re-election.

“You are able to use some of your resources to help others now rather than hoard it for your own race four years away,” Herzik said.

Polls show Republicans have a shot at capturing six seats necessary to gain the Senate majority, and possibly several more than that. The changeover could open up opportunities for Republicans recognized for doing more than their share toward victory.

Heller’s outreach comes amid reports he is pushing to become the next chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a high-visibility fundraising and campaign management arm of the Republican Party and an entry slot into Senate leadership.

The job would put Heller in charge of recruiting Republican candidates, helping them raise money and strategize for seats in the 2016 elections.

The biggest Republican target in this next cycle is expected to be Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the Senate majority leader.

Heller has declined interviews about his activities during the political season and his possible ambitions. His aides have declined to confirm or deny his interest in the GOP Senatorial Committee job but reports persist including ones this week in Politico and The Washington Post that he has been making calls to lobbyists seeking support for his bid.

After the November elections, Republican senators will choose among themselves who to install at the GOP panel. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., also has been mentioned as a contender. Through September, he has contributed $192,500 to Republican candidates through his Responsibility & Freedom Work PAC.

Heller spokesman Neal Patel said the Nevadan is focused on winning a Republican majority in the Senate. Since he arrived in the U.S. House in 2007 and through the current year, Heller has never been on the majority side.

“Senator Heller aims to help usher in a Republican majority to the Senate this January,” Patel said in an email.” He’s working very hard to achieve this goal and looks forward to making Mitch McConnell the new majority leader.”

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