Democrats target Heck with radio ads on budget cuts, jobs

WASHINGTON -- U.S. House Democrats began running ads Monday against Rep. Joe Heck in an early challenge to the Nevada Republican freshman over budget cuts and jobs.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said radio ads would run through this week, when the House is in recess and as Heck meets constituents. The size of the ad buy could not be confirmed. The committee said it is placing Facebook ads and making phone calls to voters in the suburban Las Vegas district.

Heck was one of 19 swing district Republicans targeted in the first skirmish of the 2012 campaign.

"Our context is that this is a district that went to President Obama in 2008, so it is certainly a place we are interested in," committee spokesman Jesse Ferguson said of Nevada's 3rd Congressional District.

"It's unfortunate to see some make such a quick return to partisan scare tactics," Heck said. "I am committed to working with anyone who has ideas that will create private-sector jobs."

The ad running in Nevada seeks to link Heck to the most aggressive GOP budget-cutting proposal, advanced by the conservative Republican Study Committee to roll back discretionary spending to 2006 levels.

Democrats say the proposal will "cut education and research by 40 percent" and "cost hundreds of thousands of jobs and make America less competitive."