Dean Heller

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Dean Heller
Dean Heller, Official Senate Portrait, 112th Congress.jpg
United States Senator
from Nevada
Assumed office
May 9, 2011
Serving with Harry Reid
Appointed by Brian Sandoval
Preceded by John Ensign
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Nevada's 2nd district
In office
January 3, 2007 – May 9, 2011
Preceded by Jim Gibbons
Succeeded by Mark Amodei
15th Secretary of State of Nevada
In office
January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2007
Governor Bob Miller
Kenny Guinn
Jim Gibbons
Preceded by Cheryl Lau
Succeeded by Ross Miller
Personal details
Born Dean Arthur Heller
(1960-05-10) May 10, 1960 (age 63)
Castro Valley, California, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Lynne Heller
Children 4
Alma mater University of Southern California (B.S.)
Religion Mormonism
Website Senate website
Campaign website

Dean Arthur Heller (born May 10, 1960) is the junior United States Senator from Nevada and a member of the Republican Party. Heller was appointed by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval to a vacant seat created by the resignation of John Ensign. He was previously a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Nevada's 2nd congressional district from 2007 to 2011. Prior to that he served as Secretary of State of Nevada (1995–2007) and a member of the Nevada Assembly (1991–1995). He ran in the 2012 election for the United States Senate seat to which he was appointed, and was declared the winner on November 7, 2012. Heller is set to become the senior senator when Harry Reid retires in 2017.

Early life, education, and business career

Heller was born in Castro Valley, California, to Janet (née MacNelly) and Charles Alfred "Jack" Heller, a stock car driver.[1][self-published source] He is a longtime resident of Carson City, having moved there with his family at the age of 9 months.[2] He graduated from Carson High School in 1978,[3] and was accepted into the University of Southern California, he earned his bachelor of business administration, specializing in finance and securities analysis, from the USC Marshall School of Business in 1985.[4] While a student at USC, Heller joined the Sigma Nu social fraternity.[5]

Prior to entering politics, Heller worked as an institutional stockbroker, and as a broker/trader on the Pacific Stock Exchange, from 1983 to 1988.[6] Heller then served as the Chief Deputy State Treasurer in the Nevada Office of the State Treasurer, from 1988 to 1990.[6]

Nevada Assembly

He served two terms in the Nevada Assembly from 1990 to 1994.[7] While in this legislature, Heller authored a bill to reform state retirement pensions. He represented the capital, Carson City. During his time in the Nevada Assembly, Heller also worked as a senior commercial banking consultant for Bank of America, from 1990 to 1995.[8][9]

Nevada Secretary of State

Heller was elected Secretary of State of Nevada in 1994, and was re-elected in 1998 and 2002, served in this capacity from 1995 to 2007; when he was elected to the United States House of Representatives.

As secretary, Heller made Nevada the first state in the nation to implement an auditable paper trail to electronic voting machines.[10]

U.S. House of Representatives

Heller as a representative

Elections

2006

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See also: Nevada 2nd congressional district election, 2006

Heller decided to run for Congress in 2005 for Nevada's 2nd congressional district after ten-year incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Jim Gibbons decided to run for governor. On August 15, 2006, he won the Republican primary with 36% of the vote. He narrowly defeated state Assemblywoman Sharron Angle by 421 votes. Angle received 35% of the vote and former state Assemblywoman Dawn Gibbons (incumbent's wife) received 25% of the vote.[11] In the general election, Heller defeated Democratic nominee and University of Nevada Regent Jill Derby 50%-45%. Heller lost Washoe County, home to Reno and by far the largest county in the district (it casts more than 70 percent of the district's vote). However, he won most of the rural areas of the district by margins of 2-to-1 or more, allowing him to win the district by 12,600 votes. Heller was almost certainly helped by the presence of Gibbons atop the ballot as he carried the 2nd by a landslide margin in his successful gubernatorial bid.[12][not in citation given]

2008

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See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Nevada, 2008 § District 2

Heller won the Republican primary again, this time defeating James W. Smack 86%-14%.[13] In a rematch, Heller defeated Derby in the general election, 52%-41%. This time he won every county in the district, except Clark County.[14]

2010

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See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Nevada, 2010 § District 2

In 2009, Heller had been rumored to be a candidate to challenge embattled Republican incumbent Governor Jim Gibbons or Democratic United States Senator Harry Reid in 2010.[15] He declined to run for governor or senator, and instead chose to run for re-election.

He was challenged in the Republican primary again. He won by a landslide, defeating Patrick J. Colletti 84%-16%.[16] He won re-election to a third term, defeating Nancy Price 63%-36%.[17]

Tenure

During his tenure in the House, Heller was Vice Chairman of the Western Caucus, playing a leading role in advocating for issues that impact western U.S. states.[18][19]

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2012 election

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See also: United States Senate election in Nevada, 2012

Dean Heller announced that he would run for the United States Senate to succeed John Ensign after Ensign announced his resignation.[20] He ran as the incumbent following his appointment to the seat by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval. In September 2012, Heller received an endorsement from the Filipino-American Families of America in Politics, a group of Filipino Americans in Las Vegas formed to advocate for families of World War II Filipino Veterans.[21]

He faced First District Congresswoman Shelley Berkley in the November election. In one of the closest races of the cycle,[citation needed] Heller won by 12,100 votes out of almost 900,000 cast. Ultimately, a 21,000-vote margin in Washoe County allowed Heller to win a full term.

Tenure

Heller was appointed by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval to the vacant seat created by the resignation of John Ensign. He assumed office upon his resignation from the U.S. House on May 9, 2011.[22]

On May 23, 2013, Heller introduced S. 1049 into the Senate.[23] The bill is an official companion measure to the Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act of 2013 (H.R. 2166; 113th Congress), introduced in the House by Nevada Representative Joe Heck.[24] The bills would require the federal government to issue permits within 48 hours to volunteer search and rescue groups that would allow them to search federal lands. Heller argued that "the last thing families who have lost loved ones need is the federal government to stand in the way of recovering their remains."[25]

Heller campaigned to be elected Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 114th U.S. Congress, but was defeated by Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker on November 13, 2014.[26]

Government shutdown

In 2013, Heller was one of 18 Senators who voted against the bill to reopen the government during the United States government shutdown of 2013. Regarding the vote, Heller said: “I wanted to be able to support a deal, but this proposal makes no underlying structural changes that will prevent this exact same crisis from happening again in the very near future. Considering this legislation does nothing to place our nation on sound fiscal footing or cultivate a growth economy that will produce jobs in the long term, I cannot support it.”[27]

Health care

In May 2013, Heller introduced a bill to suspend $440 million in IRS funding to enforce Obamacare. In a statement, Heller said, "With the recent events related to the Internal Revenue Service, I feel it is necessary that both Congress and the Department of Health and Human Services look closely at the money given to the IRS through the health care law."[28]

Unemployment insurance

In April 2014, Heller led a successful effort to pass legislation in the Senate extending emergency unemployment benefits to 2 million Americans.[29]

Violence Against Women Act

Heller voted for reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2012.[30]

Committee assignments

Heller is a member of the following committees:[31]

Political positions

Abortion

Since being elected to federal office, Heller has voted for key pro-life initiatives.[32]

Economy

Heller opposed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 that created the Troubled Asset Relief Program[33] characterizing the bill as "a massive bailout of Wall Street."[citation needed]

Heller also opposed the Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act of 2008.[34]

Energy

Heller has voted in support of the development of domestic oil, gas and coal. He has also supported tax incentives for renewable energy. [35]

Health care

Heller voted against H.R. 3590 and H.R. 4872 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010,[36] citing the bill's potential impact on taxes, health care costs and the national debt.[37]

During the debate prior to the federal healthcare law's passage, Heller led efforts to require two provisions be added to the federal health care law that would require:

  • The use of citizenship verification tools to determine eligibility for taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits[38]
  • Members of Congress to join any government-run healthcare plan proposed in early versions of the healthcare law.[39]

Heller questioned the constitutionality of the law following its passage, and called on Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto to join a multi-state lawsuit challenging it.[40]

On January 19, 2011, Heller voted to repeal the federal healthcare law.[41][42]

Heller is the only person to vote for Paul Ryan's budget plan twice during one session of Congress. He voted for it when he served in the House and again in the Senate after he had been appointed.[43]

Israel

Part of Heller's 2012 campaign platform revolved around his stance on Israel and the nation's relationship with the United States. Heller advocates for American assistance to Israel so that the country will have the ability to defend itself and supports punishments for Iran's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.[44] In 2011 Heller introduced the Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act of 2011, legislation that reaffirms the United States’ commitment to Israel to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.[45]

Labor unions

Heller opposes the Employee Free Choice Act, proposed legislation that would effectively eliminate secret ballots in union organizing elections and subject employers and employees to mandatory arbitration when negotiating union contracts.[46] In stating his objection to this proposed legislation, Heller said that it could cause the loss of 600,000 jobs within two years of enactment.

LGBT rights

In 2007 Heller voted against the Employment Non-discrimination Act that would have prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. However, in 2013 he changed his position, announcing his support for the bill.[47] He opposes same sex marriage.[48]

Minimum wage

Heller voted against the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007.[49] In April 2014, the United States Senate debated the Minimum Wage Fairness Act (S. 1737; 113th Congress). The bill would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to $10.10 per hour over the course of a two-year period.[50] The bill was strongly supported by President Barack Obama and many of the Democratic Senators, but strongly opposed by Republicans in the Senate and House.[51][52][53] Heller opposed the bill, arguing that Nevada already had a minimum wage higher than the federally-mandated level and that he thought the minimum wage should be left up to the states. Heller said "I think there is a difference between North and South, East and West on what those minimum wages ought to be."[53]

Cuba

Heller supports the initiative by President Barack Obama to normalize relations with Cuba, and was part of a bipartisan delegation to Havana.[54]

Personal life

A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Heller and his wife Lynne have four children and two grandchildren.[55] Heller was a founding board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada and the Western Nevada Community College Foundation. He is an advisory board member for Nevada's Foster Grandparent program.[56]

His son-in-law, Ed Ableser, was elected a Democrat to the Arizona State Senate in 2012.

Electoral history

United States Senate election in Nevada, 2012
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dean Heller (incumbent) 457,656 45.87% -9.53%
Democratic Shelley Berkley 446,080 44.71% +3.71%
Independent American David Lory VanDerBeek 48,792 4.89% +3.56%
None of These Candidates 44,277 4.54% +3.13%
Majority 12,034 1.20%
Turnout 997,805
Republican hold

References

  1. ↑ Heller family genealogy site[self-published source]
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Farhad Manjoo, "The downloading of the president '04", Salon, August 24, 2004
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Brendan Riley, "Congressman hedges on Senate bid", Associated Press, April 17, 2009
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ "Heller named to policy seat in Western Caucus", Nevada Appeal, February 7, 2009
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Nevada's Dean Heller among minority of senators to oppose deal to reopen the government. http://www.rgj.com/article/20131016/NEWS12/310160099/Nevada-s-Dean-Heller-among-minority-of-senators-to-oppose-deal-to-reopen-the-government. Votes to end the government shutdown http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/congress-votes-to-end-shutdown/house.html.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Deborah Barfield Berry, "Heller Votes Against Bailout", Reno Gazette Journal, October 4, 2008
  34. ↑ Heller Statement on Auto Bailout, Congressman Heller – U.S. House of Representatives, December 10, 2008
  35. ↑ [1]
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Heller Letter to Pelosi: Card Check Bill Will Cost Jobs, Congressman Heller – U.S. House of Representatives, March 12, 2009
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ http://ontheissues.org/House/Dean_Heller.htm#Civil_Rights Dean Heller on the Issues: Civil Rights
  49. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  50. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  51. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  52. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  54. ↑ Reuters, cuba
  55. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  56. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Further reading

External links

Political offices
Preceded by Secretary of State of Nevada
1995–2007		 Succeeded by
Ross Miller
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Nevada's 2nd congressional district
2007–2011		 Succeeded by
Mark Amodei
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Nevada
(Class 1)
2012		 Most recent
United States Senate
Preceded by United States Senator (Class 2) from Nevada
2011–present
Served alongside: Harry Reid		 Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Senators by seniority
71st		 Succeeded by
Brian Schatz
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