Rep. Dean Heller (right) has been appointed to fill Sen. John Ensign’s Senate seat.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee argued that Heller’s appointment does not necessarily give him a leg up on the 2012 race.
“As the unelected Senator, Dean Heller will now be forced to explain to all Nevadans why he is working in Washington to end Medicare and cut loans for small businesses that create clean energy jobs in Nevada,” DSCC spokesman Matt Canter said. “Becoming the unelected Senator will come with a level of heightened scrutiny that will hurt him in the general election.”
For his part, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) welcomed Heller.
“As his responsibilities shift to representing all Nevadans, rather than a single district of our state, I am confident he will work with me and members of both parties to address the serious challenges facing Nevada and the nation,” Reid said in a statement.
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