Scott Brown

GOP Fractures Further Over Payroll Tax Mess

Brian Beutler | December 20, 2011, 3:23PM

Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

House GOP aides basically admitted this to reporters yesterday, but it bears repeating. The reason they fashioned a Rube Goldberg-esque procedural device to kill the Senate payroll tax cut compromise is that they know they're now in political free fall on the issue. By doing things the way they did, at least vulnerable House Republicans can say that they didn't vote against a tax cut for the middle class.

This was probably the only way House GOP leaders were ever going to get the minority of their caucus on board with the vote. And if you want proof, look no further than the handful of Republicans who defected from their leadership Tuesday. Or, better yet, vulnerable Senate Republicans who are in cycle in 2012.

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Payroll Tax Cut

GOP Goes To War With Itself Over Payroll Cut

Brian Beutler | December 19, 2011, 5:30PM

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) conducts a news conference along with fellow GOP members on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on November 30, 2011.

A civil war between House Republicans and their Senate counterparts had gone public over the possibility that the GOP will be held to blame if the current payroll tax cut expires on January 1. The Senators feel abandoned after having voted overwhelmingly on Saturday to pass a two month extension of the holiday -- only to have conservatives in the House GOP conference reject it publicly, and insult the legislation itself.

GOP Leaders on both sides of the Capitol are trying to contain the fallout, but with vulnerable Senate Republicans exposed, and the payroll tax cut set to lapse in less than two weeks, that's a tall order.

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Super Committee

Senators Push For More Transparency For Super Committee

Susan Crabtree | September 8, 2011, 12:46PM

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)

Republican Sens. Dean Heller (NV) and David Vitter (LA) are trying to shed some sunlight on all of the deficit super committee's activities -- including fundraising.

Even before the first super committee's Thursday morning meeting began, which was open to the public and aired on C-SPAN, Heller introduced legislation to make all of the panel's meetings, even the most informal, open to the public. Vitter introduced a companion bill that would require super committee members to disclose all campaign contributions within 48 hours of receiving them.

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Dean Heller

Heller To Take Senate Oath, Replace Resigned Sen. Ensign

Jon Terbush | May 9, 2011, 1:16PM

Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV)

The U.S. Senate will return to full strength on Monday when Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) is sworn in to replace Sen. John Ensign, who resigned last week after the fallout from a sex scandal and resulting ethics investigations continued to cloud his tenure.

After polls showed his popularity plummeting and the odds of retaining his seat next year dwindling, Ensign announced early this year that he would not seek reelection in 2012. Then in late April, as his political standing worsened and as a Senate ethics investigation dragged on, Ensign decided to end his term even sooner, saying he would resign on May 3.

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NV-02

Nevada Sec. of State Announces Wide-Open Special Election For Heller Seat

Eric Kleefeld | May 2, 2011, 3:36PM

Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV)

Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller (D) has announced that the special election to replace Republican Rep. Dean Heller, who has been appointed to the Senate, will feature a single-round, potentially multi-candidate race in which anybody can file -- a development that could potentially hurt Republican efforts to hold on to the seat if they were to split their votes.

The initial expectation had been that party leaders would select nominees for the race, without a primary -- a scenario that would likely hurt the chances of unsuccessful 2010 Senate nominee Sharron Angle -- but that there was also the possibility of a wide-open race.

A similar election took place in Hawaii last year, in which Democrats split the vote between two candidates against one Republican in a normally very blue district. This helped to elect Republican candidate Charles Djou, who later narrowly lost re-election to a full term in November 2010, when he faced only a single Democrat.

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Sharron Angle

Sharron Angle For Senate? Poll Says Fat Chance

Jon Terbush | April 29, 2011, 8:20AM

According to a PPP poll released this week, Sharron Angle would face strong opposition should she run for a Senate seat in Nevada next year. This time, however, that opposition would come from within her own party.

In the poll, Angle trailed Rep. Dean Heller (R) in a hypothetical Republican primary contest to seek the seat being vacated by embattled Sen. John Ensign (R) -- and it wasn't even close. In that matchup, Heller led Angle by a mammoth 84% to 8% margin.

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NV-02

Angle Won't Run As Indy -- But Criticizes Special Election Process

Eric Kleefeld | April 27, 2011, 4:39PM

NV-02 House candidate Sharron Angle (R)

Sharron Angle, the former Nevada state representative and unsuccessful 2010 Republican Senate nominee, is committing to run for Nevada's open (and soon to be vacant) House seat as a Republican -- after some speculation that she might launch an independent bid if the party leaders did not select her for the special election.

At the same time, the Las Vegas Review Journal reports, Angle pledged to continue running in the Republican primary for the 2012 cycle, and she criticized the fact that party leaders, rather than voters, could end up picking the candidate -- a pretty clear hint that she could potentially challenge any Republican who does get elected, if she were passed over.

"I look forward to running in a legitimate campaign cycle where all registered voters are able to participate in both a primary and general election," Angle said in a statement released on Tuesday. "A special election free-for-all, or a situation where party insiders nominate a candidate, does disservice to our representative democracy."

On Wednesday, Rep. Dean Heller (R) was officially announced as the new appointee to the Senate after the resignation of Sen. John Ensign. Heller had already been running for the seat, following Ensign's earlier announcement that he would not run in 2012, which led Angle to declare her candidacy in her home House district that she had carried in the 2010 Senate race.

NV-SEN

Heller Appointed To Nevada Senate Seat

Eric Kleefeld | April 27, 2011, 3:54PM

Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV)

Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) is officially the newly appointed Senator for Nevada, the Las Vegas Sun reports. He'll take the seat being vacated in early May with the resignation of Republican Sen. John Ensign.

Heller had already been running for the seat, following the scandal-plagued Ensign's announcement that he would not run again in 2012. When Ensign announced his resignation last week, Heller became the immediate favorite to be appointed by Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval.

"The people of Nevada deserve a new senator who can begin work immediately," Sandoval said in a press release, mounting an apparent defense of his appointment of an already active candidate. "Too many important issues face our state and our nation to name a caretaker to this important position; Nevada needs an experienced voice in Washington, DC."

This appointment gives Heller an initial incumbency in 2012 against his Democratic challenger, Rep. Shelley Berkley. A recent survey from Public Policy Polling (D) gave Heller a narrow lead of 47%-43% over Berkley in this perennial swing state.

NV-02

The GOP's Angle Problem: Nevada's Upcoming Special House Election

Eric Kleefeld | April 22, 2011, 11:53AM

NV-02 House candidate Sharron Angle (R)

The resignation of scandal-plagued Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), and the expected appointment of current Republican candidate Rep. Dean Heller to the seat, could portend a political mess of a wholly different sort: A special election for Heller's House seat -- and the conundrum for Republicans posed by the potential candidacy of their losing U.S. Senate nominee from 2010, Sharron Angle.

Angle, who lost the 2010 Senate race despite the national Republican wave -- due to controversy over extreme statements about "Second Amendment remedies" to Democratic policies, and her statements in favor of phasing out Social Security and Medicare -- has already been running for the House seat, along with retired Navy Commander Kirk Lippold, who was chief officer of the U.S.S. Cole when it was attacked by al Qaeda in 2000. In addition, Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki and state GOP chair Mark Amodei are reportedly considering the race.

The problem: Under the rules for special elections in Nevada, the parties would select the nominees rather than primary voters doing the job -- and the same party leaders who watched Angle blow the very winnable 2010 Senate race, would be much more likely to pick someone else.

As Roll Call reports:

If the parties are ultimately allowed to choose their nominees, a high-ranking Nevada GOP source said there is "no way" Angle would be tapped to be the party's standard-bearer. But Amodei would likely have the upper hand in that scenario.

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John Ensign

John Ensign Resigning Senate Seat

Evan McMorris-Santoro | April 21, 2011, 6:09PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) is resigning from his seat in the U.S. Senate. In a statement released by his office Thursday evening, Ensign said his last day as a Senator will be May 3.

"It is with tremendous sadness that I officially hand over the Senate seat that I have held for eleven years," Ensign said in the statement. "The turbulence of these last few years is greatly surpassed by the incredible privilege that I feel to have been entrusted to serve the people of Nevada. I can honestly say that being a United States Senator has been the honor of my life."

Ensign had already announced he wouldn't be seeking a third term in 2012, after his current term was marred by scandal involving an affair with the wife of a longtime friend and former staffer. The scandal put Ensign in the sights of the Senate Ethics Committee.

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Dean Heller

Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) Announces Run to Replace Ensign

Benjy Sarlin | March 15, 2011, 11:35AM

Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV)

The open seat left by Sen. John Ensign's (R-NV) scandal-aided retirement in Nevada has drawn its first official top-tier candidate: Republican Congressman Dean Heller.

In an e-mail to supporters obtained by the Las Vegas Sun's Jon Ralston, Heller announced his candidacy, which was already long expected by political observers regardless of whether Ensign retired. Heller's note overwhelmingly focuses on fiscal issues and he proudly touts his vote against TARP, setting up a preview of the race ahead.

"My view then, just as it is now, is that debt fueled bailouts only hurts [sic] long-term economic growth and places taxpayers on the hook for the excesses of Wall Street," Heller wrote. "Now I want to take this fight to the United States Senate."

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John Ensign

Who Will Replace John Ensign in Nevada?

Benjy Sarlin | March 9, 2011, 10:10AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

John Ensign (R-NV) is not running for re-election after bowing out Tuesday, but his ongoing scandals and weak poll numbers mean that both parties have had plenty of time to contemplate an election without him. Republicans and Democrats are expected to field formidable candidates, setting up a brawl that could be as competitive as any in the nation.

On the Republican side, Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) is considered the most likely nominee and was already widely discussed as a primary challenger for Ensign if the senator decided to go for another term. Polls have shown him strong against both Ensign and likely Democratic opponents and some observers have labeled him an early, if slight, frontrunner in the general election. He could have some competition from a familiar face, however -- one of Sharron Angle's former aides has been floating her as a potential candidate in the press. (She could also run for Heller's House seat if he vacates it to seek the Senate post.)

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Senate '12

Poll: Embattled Sen. Ensign Could Lose Primary Challenge

Jon Terbush | February 15, 2011, 1:48PM

Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) and Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) is no David Vitter (R-LA), the Senator who won reelection last year despite having cheated on his wife with prostitutes. But that doesn't mean he's sitting pretty in the Silver State.

Bogged down by a sex scandal and ethics investigations, a new poll conducted by the Tarrance Group shows that Ensign (R-NV) could get knocked off in a primary challenge next year if he decides to seek reelection.

In the poll, Rep. Dean Heller (R) led Ensign in a head to head primary matchup, 53% to 38%. And while the poll was commissioned by the Heller camp -- usually a sign that it should be taken with a grain of salt -- the results still paint a bleak picture of Ensign's reelection prospects, with Heller coming out on top with several crucial GOP demographics.

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2012

PPP Poll: Sen. Ensign Trails In 2012 NV-SEN GOP Primary

Jon Terbush | January 11, 2011, 2:24PM

Senator John Ensign (R-NV) may be ready to run for office again, but his own party's voters may be ready for someone new. In a PPP poll released today, Ensign gets no love from Republican voters, 41% of whom said he shouldn't even run for reelection, versus a marginally better 42% who say he should run again.

In hypothetical primary matchups, Ensign's reelection prospects look even grimmer. Among the seven candidates posited in the poll, Ensign came in second at 20%, 10 points behind Rep. Dean Heller's 30%, but well within striking distance for the other contenders in the crowded field. Rounding out the top five were two failed candidates for the party's 2010 Senate nomination, Sue Lowden (12%) and Danny Tarkanian (10%), and the GOP Senate nominee, Sharron Angle (9%.)

Also troubling for Ensign, he fared even worse in a one-on-one contest with Heller, trailing in that mathcup 52% to 34%.

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NV-SEN

What The Cluck? Lowden Ready To Run Again (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | January 7, 2011, 6:37PM

Sue Lowden

Sue Lowden might not be done kicking up the dust in Nevada politics. In an interview just now with Chris Matthews, the former Nevada Senate candidate, who lost the Republican primary last year, was asked whether she might run for the Senate in 2012, if scandal-plagued incumbent Republican Sen. John Ensign were to retire. And on top of that, you might be surprised to hear what she's doing now.

"If John Ensign doesn't run, and Congressman Dean Heller decides not to throw his hat in the ring, I would think about it seriously," said Lowden.

"But you don't want to beat Heller?" Matthews asked

"I don't think I can beat Heller," Lowden said, laughing. "I mean, that's an honest answer it's a very honest answer."

What's the matter, Sue Lowden -- chicken?

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2012

PPP Poll: Sen. Ensign In Big Trouble For 2012 Reelection Bid

Jon Terbush | January 6, 2011, 4:11PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), who has been mired in multiple ethics investigations over the past two years, has a steep hill to climb if he hopes to keep his Senate seat in 2012, according to a new poll.

In the PPP poll, half of Nevada voters say they disapprove of Ensign's job performance, and nearly six in ten say he should not seek reelection. What's more, Ensign trails in hypothetical races with every Democratic challenger matched against him, but another Republican, Rep. Dean Heller, tops each of those same Democrats,

In the poll, 59% of respondents said they thought Ensign should not seek a third term in the Senate, while just 26% thought he should run again. And even if he were to run again, he would be hard pressed to convince his constituents that he deserves a second term. Fifty percent of respondents said they disapproved of Ensign's job performance, versus 35% who said they approved.

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John Ensign

PPP Poll: John Ensign Leads In Early Look At NV-SEN Primary

Marc Kilstein | November 10, 2010, 12:50PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) surprised many when he started gearing up for a 2012 re-election bid, amidst his sex-and-lobbying scandal. But according to a newly released PPP poll (D), Nevada's junior senator remains popular among Republicans and is well-positioned in the state's Republican primary.

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John Ensign

Nevada GOP Congressman: 'Wounded' Ensign Is 'Cause For Concern'

Zachary Roth | April 8, 2010, 1:19PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

It looks like Nevada Republicans' patience with Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), amid the senator's sex-and-lobbying scandal may be wearing thin.

"The fact we have a wounded junior senator, yeah, it is cause for concern," Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) said in a TV interview.

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