Joe Heck

The Nevada Democratic Party has been busy lying about state Sen. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) again.  Sort of.

The Sun has a high-profile story today about the goings on with the independent expenditure campaign in SD-5. 

To view more cartoons by Politicker.com editorial cartoonist Rob Tornoe, click here.

From left:Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley (D-Las Vegas), state Sen. Bob Beers (R-Las Vegas), state Sen. Joe Heck (R-Henderson).LAS VEGAS - Perhaps the biggest irony of Gov. Jim Gibbons' call for a special session of the legislature June 23 is that he could potentially be providing a golden opportunity for the politician who could defeat him in 2010.

Three state legislators, Assembly Speaker Barbara (D-Las Vegas) and state Sens. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) and Bob Beers (R-Las Vegas), are rumored to be interested in Gibbons' job, and any one of them could use the session to strike a first blow in an eventual campaign against him.

Taking into account his "no solutions are off the table" pledge and short of Gibbons shooting the moon politically, here is what we can expect to see next week from the looming gubernatorial contest.

From left, SD-5 candidate Shirley Breeden, Greg Esposito, and AD-21 candidate Ellen Spiegel in Henderson last week.: Although most of the Democratic establishment is staying positive about Breeden's candidacy, the NSEA's endorsment of her opponent last week is a troubling sign. Politicker Photo.LAS VEGAS-Months ago, intent on retaking the state senate, Nevada Democrats cast their sights on Senate District 5 as one of two key targets. But hopes of capturing the seat may be fading as their candidate, a self-described "political unknown," has failed to win the endorsement of one of the pillars of the state Democratic establishment, the Nevada State Education Association.

And the endorsement of incumbent state Sen. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) by the state's teachers' union is just the latest in a series of missed opportunities for state Democrats that have led some Democratic operatives to believe their candidate, Shirley Breeden, is unlikely to defeat Heck.

National Democrats are prepared to put some heavy money behind the campaigns of several Democratic legislative candidates in Nevada as an investment in 2012 congressional redistricting – when Nevada is expected to gain a fourth seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. According to sources, the staff of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has told DNC and DCCC officials that non-federal dollars ought to be earmarked for three races that will help Democrats gradually turn the state from light red to blue: State Senate candidates Allison Copening, who is challenging Bob Beers, and Shirley Breeden, who is opposing Joe Heck; and for Democrat Dondero Loop, who is seeking Republican Valerie Weber’s open District 5 Assembly seat.

This week's Winners & Losers are now posted.

Shirley Breeden, right, chats with Assemblymen Moises Denis and Ruben Kihuen in March.: Politicker Photo.LAS VEGAS-Clark County School District administrator Shirley Breeden will file today to challenge Republican state Sen. Joe Heck in Senate District 5.  Breeden had previously declared that she would seek the 21st Assembly District seat now held by Assemblyman Bob Beers.

According to a press release issued by the state Democratic Party, Breeden will seek the seat "because she believes more needs to be done to address the serious problems facing families and retirees in Nevada. She said the home foreclosure crisis, the public health crisis with the Hepatitis C outbreak and challenges facing our schools must be addressed now."

Although the district has been trending Democratic, Breeden will face a tough race to unseat Heck, who returned from a tour of Iraq with the Army Reserve Monday.  Heck filed for reelection Wednesday.

LAS VEGAS-Just returned from deployment to Iraq, state Sen. Joe Heck discusses his experiences in the war and plans for the future.

Newly elected Nevada Senate Minority Leader Steven Horsford speaks to volunteers at a voter registration drive Saturday: Politicker PhotoLAS VEGAS -- When Nevada Senate Democrats wrapped up their four-hour meeting Friday night, they had selected a new leader and created the outlines of a plan to take over the majority. The only things they lacked were specifics.

"Our caucus spent a lot of time last night talking about how we were going to work as a team to take the majority in November," said state Sen. Steven Horsford (D-Las Vegas), the newly elected Democratic leader, Saturday.

"Our first goal is to win in November, so that's what we're focused on. Once we get beyond winning, we'll start looking into how we will govern in 2009."