Joe Heck

Joe Heck

Republican Party

Prior offices

Nevada State Senate District 5

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U.S. House Nevada District 3

Successor: Jacky Rosen

Predecessor: Dina Titus

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Compensation

Net worth

(2012) $305,004.50

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2016

Education

Bachelor's

Penn State University

Graduate

U.S. Army War College

Medical

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army Reserve

Personal

Religion

Christian: Catholic

Profession

Osteopathic Physician

Joseph John "Joe" Heck (b. October 30, 1961, in Queens, NY) is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Nevada. Heck represented Nevada's 3rd Congressional District from 2011 to 2017.

Heck was a 2016 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. Senate from Nevada. He was defeated by Catherine Cortez Masto (D) in the general election.

Heck has been in the U.S. Army Reserve since 1991. He has been called to active duty three times, including a deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Heck was born in Queens, New York. He earned a B.A. from Pennsylvania State University in 1984 and his Doctor's of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O) from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1988. He earned a Master's of Strategic Studies (M.S.S.) at the U.S. Army War College in 2006.

Heck worked as a physician and as the president and medical director of Specialized Medical Operations, Inc. He has taught classes at Touro University, the Community College of Southern Nevada and the University of Nevada School of Medicine.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Heck's academic, professional, and political career:

• 2011-2017: U.S. Representative from Nevada's 3rd Congressional District
• 1991-2017: Colonel, U.S. Army Reserve
• 2004-2008: Member of the Nevada State Senate
• 1998-2003: Professor at the Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD
• 1988: Earned D.O. from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
• 1984: Earned B.S. in health education from Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2015-2016

Heck served on the following committees:

• Armed Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on Military Personnel, Chairman
  • Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations
• Education and the Workforce Committee
  • Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training
  • Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
• Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

• Subcommittee on Department of Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture Chairman
• Subcommittee on Emerging Threats

2013-2014

Heck served on the following committees:

• Armed Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on Military Personnel
  • Subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging Threats and Capabilities
• Education and the Workforce Committee
  • Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions
  • Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training
• United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
  • Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence - Chairman

2011-2012

Heck served on the following committees:

• House Armed Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on Military Personnel
  • Subcommittee on Readiness
• Education and the Workforce Committee
  • Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training
  • Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
• House Select Committee on Intelligence
  • Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence Chairman

Key votes

114th Congress

The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Heck's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections.

Economic and fiscal

Trade Act of 2015

See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015

Trade adjustment assistance
On June 12, 2015, the House rejected the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 126-302. Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing American workers displaced by foreign trade agreements with job training and services. The measure was packaged with trade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast-track authority. TPA is a legislative procedure that allows Congress to define "U.S. negotiating objectives and spells out a detailed oversight and consultation process for during trade negotiations. Under TPA, Congress retains the authority to review and decide whether any proposed U.S. trade agreement will be implemented," according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Heck was one of 158 Republicans to vote against TAA.
Trade promotion authority
On June 12, 2015, the House passed the trade promotion authority (TPA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015 —by a vote of 219-211. TPA gives the president fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements sent to Congress without the opportunity for amendment or filibuster. Although the House approved TPA, it was a largely symbolic vote given the measure was part of a package trade bill including trade adjustment assistance (TAA), which was rejected earlier the same day. Heck was one of 191 Republicans to support the measure.
Trade promotion authority second vote
After the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) and trade promotion authority (TPA) did not pass the House together on June 12, 2015, representatives voted to authorize TPA alone as an amendment to HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—on June 18, 2015. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-208, with all voting members of the House maintaining their original positions on TPA except for Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). Heck was one of 190 Republicans to vote in favor of the amendment.
Trade adjustment assistance second vote
The House passed HR 1295—the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015—on June 25, 2015, by a vote of 286-138. The Senate packaged trade adjustment assistance (TAA) in this bill after the House rejected the TAA measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015. Along with trade promotion authority (TPA), which Congress passed as part of HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—TAA became law on June 29, 2015. Heck was one of 132 Republicans to vote against HR 1295.

Defense spending authorization

On May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Heck voted with 227 other Republicans and 41 Democrats to approve the bill. The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015.

On November 5, 2015, the House passed S 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Heck voted with 234 other Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill. On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015.

2016 Budget proposal

On April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, voted against the resolution. Heck voted with 225 other Republicans to approve the bill.

2015 budget

On October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Heck voted with 166 Republicans against the bill. It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015.

Foreign Affairs

Iran nuclear deal

See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015

On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Heck voted with 222 other Republican representatives to approve the bill.

Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
On September 11, 2015, the House rejected HR 3461—To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 162-269. The legislation proposed approving the nuclear agreement with Iran. Heck voted with 243 Republicans and 25 Democrats against the bill.

Suspension of Iran sanctions relief
On September 11, 2015, the House approved HR 3460—To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 247-186. HR 3460 prohibited "the President, prior to January 21, 2017, from: limiting the application of specified sanctions on Iran or refraining from applying any such sanctions; or removing a foreign person (including entities) listed in Attachments 3 or 4 to Annex II of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury." Heck voted with 244 Republicans and two Democrats for the bill.

Presidential non-compliance of section 2
On September 10, 2015, the House passed H Res 411—Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 245-186. Section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 required the president to submit all materials related to the nuclear agreement for congressional review. House Republicans introduced the resolution because two agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran were not submitted to Congress. Heck voted with 244 Republicans for the resolution.

Export-Import Bank

On October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods. Heck voted with 116 Republicans and one Democrat against the bill.

Domestic

USA FREEDOM Act of 2015

On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Heck voted with 195 Republicans and 142 Democrats to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015.

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Heck voted with 237 Republicans in favor of the bill.

Cyber security

On April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies. Heck voted with 219 Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill.

On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Heck voted with 201 Republicans and 105 Democrats in favor of the bill.

Immigration

On November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137. The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Heck voted with 241 Republicans and 47 Democrats in favor of the bill.

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Heck's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.

National security

NDAA

Heck supported HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote.

DHS Appropriations

Heck supported HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 and was largely along party lines.

Keystone Pipeline Amendment

Heck opposed House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines.

CISPA (2013)

Heck supported HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities. The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party.

Economy

Paul Ryan Budget Proposal

In March 2013 the Republican controlled House passed the budget proposal set out by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan (R) for the third straight year. However, not all Republican representatives voted in favor of the proposal. Heck was one of the 10 Republican Representatives who voted against Ryan's budget proposal.

The proposal was killed after being voted down in the U.S. Senate with a 40-59 vote.

The proposal would have cut about $5 trillion over the next decade and aimed to balance the budget by the end of the 10-year period. The 2013 bill had opposition from 10 Republicans — the same number that voted against it in 2012. In 2011 only four Republicans cast a vote in opposition. Democrats have unanimously voted against the bill every year.

Farm Bill

See also: United States Farm Bill 2013

Heck supported the Farm Bill on July 11, 2013. The bill passed in a 216-208 vote. The bill passed included farm policy, but did not include food stamps.

Government shutdown

See also: United States budget debate, 2013

On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201. At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference. Heck voted to support the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate.

The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Heck voted for HR 2775.

Immigration

Morton Memos Prohibition

Heck supported House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status. The vote largely followed party lines.

Healthcare

Repealing Obamacare

Heck has supported all attempts to repeal or delay the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Social issues

Abortion

Heck supported HR 1797 - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The resolution passed the House on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 228 - 196. The purpose of the bill was to ban abortions that would take place 20 or more weeks after fertilization.

Government affairs

HR 676

See also: Boehner's lawsuit against the Obama administration

On July 30, 2014, the U.S. House approved a resolution 225 to 201 to sue President Barack Obama for exceeding his constitutional authority. Five Republicans—Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Broun of Georgia, Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Walter Jones of North Carolina and Steve Stockman of Texas—voted with Democrats against the lawsuit. Heck joined the other 224 Republicans in favor of the lawsuit. All Democrats voted against the resolution.

Previous congressional sessions

Fiscal Cliff

Heck voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was 1 of 85 Republicans that voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257-167 vote on January 1, 2013.

Issues

American intervention in Syria

See also: United States involvement in Syria

Heck signed a letter asking President Obama to "consult and receive authorization from Congress before ordering the use of U.S. military force in Syria." The letter was sent August 28, 2013.

Poll on 2013 immigration plan

Several Republican members of the U.S. House may have faced a tougher path to re-election in 2014 because the Gang of Eight's immigration bill did not pass in the House in 2013, according to a Public Policy Poll released in July 2013.

According to the poll, a majority of voters in seven Republican congressional districts said they were less likely to vote for their representative if he or she failed to support the plan. Public Policy Polling described the bill to respondents, saying that it would "secure our borders, block employers from hiring undocumented immigrants, and make sure that undocumented immigrants already in the U.S. with no criminal record register for legal status. If a long list of requirements is met over more than a decade, it provides eligibility for a path to citizenship."

Heck represented one of those seven districts. Voters also reported in the poll that they were less likely to support Republican candidates in the 2014 general election if the Republican House members blocked this immigration proposal. Voters in all seven districts had at least 61 percent support for the Senate’s immigration plan.

Presidential preference

2016

See also: Republicans and their declared positions on Donald Trump and Republican reactions to 2005 Trump tape

• On October 8, 2016, Heck withdrew his support for Trump after The Washington Post released a 2005 video of Trump making comments about women that were described as "extremely lewd." Heck said that he would not vote for Trump or for Clinton. He also asked Trump to withdraw from the race. His full statement appears below:

“	I’ve spent much of my life serving in the military where I stood beside some of the bravest men and women this country has to offer — willing to put themselves in harm’s way to protect the freedoms upon which this country was founded. They live by a code of honor, of decency and of respect. As a husband and a father, I strive to bring that same code of honor into my personal life. I believe any candidate for President of the United States should campaign with common ethical and moral values and decency. I accept that none of us are perfect. However, I can no longer look past this pattern of behavior and inappropriate comments from Donald Trump. Therefore, I cannot, in good conscience, continue to support him nor can I vote for Hillary Clinton. My wife, my daughters, my mother, my sister and all women deserve better. The American people deserve better. Our campaign will move forward, and continue to be based on the core principles of the Republican Party, the need for conservative leadership and the requirement that all people be treated with respect and dignity. My hope is that this will not divide us and that we can unite behind Republican principles. We deserve a candidate who can ask him or herself at the end of the day, 'Did I live my life with honor and do I deserve to be elected president of the United States.' I believe our only option is to formally ask Mr. Trump to step down and allow Republicans the opportunity to elect someone who will provide us with the strong leadership so desperately needed and one that Americans deserve. Today, I stand here disappointed in our choices for president but more committed than ever to bringing that same code of honor, decency and respect to the United States Senate.	”
—Rep. Joe Heck

• On May 3, 2016, Heck said that he planned to support the Republican Party’s nominee. He added, “Post-convention, you know, folks will come together and concentrate on what's important, which is the November election. That's where we are focused. We have a campaign plan that will carry us through November and that's what we're sticking with.” He did not mention Donald Trump in his statement.

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

Joe Heck endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.

Elections

2016

U.S. Senate race in Nevada

See also: United States Senate election in Nevada, 2016

The race for Nevada's open U.S. Senate seat was one of Ballotpedia's nine competitive battleground races in 2016. Former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto (D) defeated U.S. Rep. Joe Heck (R), a doctor and brigadier general in the Army Reserve who served in Iraq, and four third-party candidates in the general election to win retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s (D) seat. Her victory on November 8, 2016, made her the first-ever Latina elected to the United States Senate.

Reid’s seat was the Republican Party’s only chance to pick up a Senate seat this cycle. Cortez Masto’s biggest ally was Reid, who used his get out the vote resources to make sure his seat stayed under Democratic control. Reid and outside groups heavily influenced the race and were partially responsible for the negative tone and numerous attack ads. According to USA Today, “The race was anything but cordial. Outside money flooded the state bringing the total spending to nearly $100 million. All that cash washed away nearly any real policy discussion, as attacks flew claiming Cortez Masto was incompetent and corrupt while Heck was a stooge for the billionaire Koch Brothers.”

In her victory speech, Cortez Masto commented on her status as the first Latina elected to the Senate, saying, "It's not just about making history. Don't you think it is about time that we had diversity in the U.S. Senate? Don't you think it's about time that our government mirrors the people we serve every day?"

U.S. Senate, Nevada General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Catherine Cortez Masto	47.1%	521,994
	Republican	Joe Heck	44.7%	495,079
	N/A	None of these candidates	3.8%	42,257
	Independent American	Tom Jones	1.5%	17,128
	Independent	Thomas Sawyer	1.3%	14,208
	Independent	Tony Gumina	1%	10,740
	Independent	Jarrod Williams	0.6%	6,888
Total Votes				1,108,294
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

U.S. Senate, Nevada Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Joe Heck	64.9%	74,524
Sharron Angle	22.8%	26,146
None of these candidates	3.4%	3,903
Tom Heck	3.1%	3,567
Eddie Hamilton	1.8%	2,057
D'Nese Davis	1.7%	1,938
Bill Tarbell	1%	1,179
Robert Leeds	0.6%	662
Juston Preble	0.5%	582
Carlo Poliak	0.2%	279
Total Votes		114,837
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

U.S. Senate, Nevada Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Catherine Cortez Masto	80.6%	81,971
Allen Rheinhart	5.6%	5,650
None of these candidates	5.4%	5,501
Liddo O'Briant	4.8%	4,842
Bobby Mahendra	3.7%	3,764
Total Votes		101,728
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

Nevada's 3rd Congressional District

See also: Nevada's 3rd Congressional District election, 2016

Nevada's 3rd Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. Republican incumbent Joe Heck, who began serving in Congress in 2010, chose to seek election to the Senate in 2016, leaving the seat open. Jacky Rosen (D) defeated Danny Tarkanian (R), David Goossen (Independent), and Warren Markowitz (Independent American) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Rosen defeated five other Democrats to win the primary, while Tarkanian defeated six primary opponents. The primary elections took place on June 14, 2016.

U.S. House, Nevada District 3 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Jacky Rosen	47.2%	146,869
	Republican	Danny Tarkanian	46%	142,926
	Independent American	Warren Markowitz	3.7%	11,602
	Independent	David Goossen	3.1%	9,566
Total Votes				310,963
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

U.S. House, Nevada District 3 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Danny Tarkanian	32%	9,002
Michael Roberson	24%	6,759
Michele Fiore	18.2%	5,124
Andy Matthews	14.1%	3,975
Kerry Bowers	5.6%	1,569
Annette Teijeiro	4.7%	1,336
Sami Khal	1.4%	381
Total Votes		28,146
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

U.S. House, Nevada District 3 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jacky Rosen	62.2%	14,221
Jesse Sbaih	12.8%	2,928
Barry Michaels	9.7%	2,219
Steven Schiffman	5.4%	1,237
Alex Singer	5.3%	1,208
Neil Waite	4.6%	1,055
Total Votes		22,868
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

2014

See also: Nevada's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014

The 3rd Congressional District of Nevada held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Joe Heck (R) defeated Erin Bilbray (D), Randy Kimmick (L), David Goossen (I) and Steven St John (I) in the general election. Bilbray defeated Zachary Campbell in the Democratic primary on June 10, 2014, while the other candidates ran unopposed or did not run in the primary.

Nevada's 3rd was considered a battleground district in 2014. Heck had only been in office since 2011, and although he won re-election in 2012 with a 7.5 percent margin of victory, the district voted Democratic in the 2012 presidential election. President Barack Obama won the district by just 0.8 percent.

U.S. House, Nevada District 3 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Joe Heck Incumbent	60.8%	88,528
	Democratic	Erin Bilbray	36.1%	52,644
	Libertarian	Randy Kimmick	1.1%	1,566
	Independent	David Goossen	1.1%	1,637
	Independent	Steven St John	0.9%	1,344
Total Votes				145,719
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

Race background

Heck was a member of the National Republican Congressional Committee's Patriot Program. The program was designed to assist vulnerable Republican incumbents heading into the 2014 election.

Endorsements

Heck received the following endorsements for his 2014 re-election campaign:

• Mitt Romney

2012

See also: Nevada's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2012

Heck won re-election in 2012. He defeated Chris Dyer in the Republican primary on June 12, 2012. After the election, the Sunlight Foundation listed four races where satellite spending likely pushed the winner over the top. Heck was listed as one of the four, spurred on by more than $2 million in spending by independent groups, including the American Action Network and the National Republican Campaign Committee.

U.S. House, Nevada District 3 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Oceguera	42.9%	116,823
	Republican	Joe Heck Incumbent	50.4%	137,244
	Independent American Party of Nevada	Tom Jones	2.1%	5,600
	Independent	Jim Murphy	4.7%	12,856
Total Votes				272,523
Source: Nevada Secretary of State "U.S. House of Representatives Results"

U.S House, Nevada District 3 Republican Primary, 2012

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Joe Heck Incumbent	90.1%	20,798
Chris Dyer	9.9%	2,298
Total Votes		23,096

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Joe Heck, click [show] to expand the section.

2010 On November 2, 2010, Joseph Heck won election to the United States House. He defeated incumbent Dina Titus (D), Barry Michaels (I), Scott David Narter (Independent American) and Joseph P. Silvestri (L) in the general election. U.S. House, Nevada District 3 General Election, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Joseph Heck 48.1% 128,916      Democratic Dina Titus incumbent 47.5% 127,168      Independent Barry Michaels 2.4% 6,473      Independent American Scott David Narter 0.5% 1,291      Libertarian Joseph P. Silvestri 1.5% 4,026 Total Votes 267,874

Campaign themes

2014

Heck listed the following issues on his campaign website:

“	Healthcare: Joe Heck is fighting for a better alternative. Joe Heck’s solution supports Nevada’s families by protecting the patient-physician relationship and reducing health care costs. Joe Heck is working to protect Medicare for Nevada’s seniors and preserve it for future generations. Jobs and the Economy: Joe Heck’s plan to fast track the tourist visa process will bring much needed economic growth to Southern Nevada and help businesses open and put Nevada men and women back to work. Government Spending: Joe Heck has pushed for an audit of the Federal Reserve and for a vote on a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. Energy: Joe Heck also supports efforts to develop alternate sources of energy like wind, solar, geothermal and hydro power as part of a long range solution to the energy crisis. Joe Heck successfully sponsored the Hoover Power Act to ensure a supply of low cost, renewable energy from Hoover Dam for 50 years. Housing: He has supported programs that help homeowners who are underwater and introduced legislation to give folks who lost a home to foreclosure a second chance at homeownership and the American dream. Joe is an independent voice in gridlocked Washington who puts the interests of Nevada families and homeowners first. Excessive Regulations: Joe Heck supported efforts to stop new government regulations during this time of scarce jobs and high unemployment. Joe Heck also supported efforts restricting the ability of unelected bureaucrats to impose regulations on Nevadans that could cost jobs. Protecting Veterans: Dr. Heck believes the benefits of every service member who has sacrificed for his or her country must be safeguarded. Joe Heck believes we have a responsibility to deliver on the promises made to those who have volunteered to serve our country.	”
—Joe Heck, Campaign website (archive)

2012

Healthcare

Heck indicated that he would work to repeal, repair and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. His priorities included protecting the patient-physician relationship, reducing health care costs, working to protect Medicare for Nevada’s seniors and preserving it for future generations.

Economy

Heck indicated that he had a plan to fast track tourist visas to boost the tourist industry in Southern Nevada. He noted his opposition to government tax burdens and red tape on the private sector.

Government Spending

Heck supported an audit of the Federal Reserve and a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Joe Heck campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2014	U.S. House (Nevada, District 3)	Won	$2,484,963	N/A**
2012	U.S. House Nevada District 3	Won	$2,423,277	N/A**
2010	U.S. House Nevada District 3	Won	$1,537,856	N/A**
Grand total			$6,446,096	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Heck's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $99,010 and $510,999. That averages to $305,004.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican representatives in 2012 of $7,614,097.96. Heck ranked as the 315th most wealthy representative in 2012. Between 2009 and 2012, Heck's calculated net worth decreased by an average of 5 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Joe Heck Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2009	$363,332
2012	$305,004
Growth from 2009 to 2012:	−16%
Average annual growth:	−5%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Heck received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Health Professionals industry.

From 2009-2014, 37.8 percent of Heck's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Joe Heck Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$5,831,371
Total Spent	$4,370,524
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Health Professionals	$819,471
Leadership PACs	$454,071
Casinos/Gambling	$411,862
Retired	$292,812
Real Estate	$225,866
% total in top industry	14.05%
% total in top two industries	21.84%
% total in top five industries	37.8%

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Heck was a rank-and-file Republican as of July 2014. This was the same rating Heck received in June 2013.

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Heck most often voted with:

• James Renacci
• Jim Matheson

Heck least often voted with:

• Walter Jones
• Mark Pocan

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Heck missed 32 of 3,358 roll call votes from January 2011 to September 2015. This amounted to 1 percent, which was lower than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Heck paid his congressional staff a total of $723,063 in 2011. Overall, Nevada ranked 50th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Heck ranked 207th in the conservative rankings in 2013.

2012

Heck ranked 159th in the conservative rankings in 2012.

2011

Heck ranked 215th in the conservative rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Heck voted with the Republican Party 92.2 percent of the time, which ranked 181st among the 234 House Republican members as of July 2014.

2013

Heck voted with the Republican Party 93.5 percent of the time, which ranked 186th among the 234 House Republican members as of June 2013.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Joe Heck Nevada Senate. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Joe Heck - Google News

See also

• United States House of Representatives
• Nevada's 3rd Congressional District
• Nevada's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014
• United States Senate election in Nevada, 2016
• United States Senate

External links

Suggest a link

• Social media:
  • Facebook
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  • Twitter
  • YouTube
• Biographies:
  • U.S. Congress
  • NNDB
  • Wikipedia
• Political profiles:
  • GovTrack
  • CongressMerge
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Roll Call
• Financial (federal level):
  • FEC contributions
  • OpenSecrets.org
  • LegiStorm.com
  • Washington Post
• Financial (state level):
  • Follow The Money
• Interest group ratings:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions:
  • On The Issues
  • Project Vote Smart
• Legislation:
  • Congress.gov
• Public statements:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Voting record:
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Washington Post
• Media appearances:
  • C-SPAN
• Media coverage:
  • Washington Post

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Dina Titus	U.S. House of Representatives - Nevada, District 3 2011-2017	Succeeded by Jacky Rosen (D)
Preceded by Ann O'Connell	Nevada State Senate - Clark 5 District 2004-2008	Succeeded by Shirley Breeden

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Nevada's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Catherine Masto (D)

Jacky Rosen (D)

Representatives

District 1

Dina Titus (D)

District 2

Mark Amodei (R)

District 3

Susie Lee (D)

District 4

Steven Horsford (D)

Democratic Party (5)

Republican Party (1)