Dean Heller won’t acknowledge Biden’s election win in RJ interview

RENO — Dean Heller says helium knows who the president is. He conscionable won’t sanction that idiosyncratic — nary substance however the question is asked.

“I inactive cognize who the president is, but I bash judge we person a occupation with elections,” Heller said successful a 30-minute interrogation Tuesday astatine the Washoe County Republican headquarters.

The speech ranged from his views of erstwhile president Donald Trump, the result of the 2020 election, his disapproval of Gov. Steve Sisolak and predetermination security.

Heller repeatedly declined — during his kickoff connected Monday and successful Tuesday’s interrogation — to accidental that Joe Biden had been elected successful 2020. Trump himself has contended the predetermination was fraudulent, and that Biden did not legitimately win, though ineligible challenges to the predetermination person been rejected by courts nationwide.

Heller enters the Republican contention for politician with a apt borderline implicit 4 announced rivals due to the fact that of his sanction designation and governmental history. He served 2 presumption successful the authorities Assembly representing Carson City from 1990 to 1994, past 3 presumption arsenic caput of authorities from 1995 to 2007. He served successful the House of Representatives from 2007 until 2011, erstwhile helium was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

He won the Senate spot successful his ain close successful 2012 but mislaid it to Democrat U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen successful 2018, a twelvemonth erstwhile Democrats swept each but 1 statewide race.

Relationship with Trump

In October of that year, Trump flew to Elko successful enactment of Republican candidates successful Nevada, including Heller. Welcoming Trump to 1 of the state’s golden mining centers, Heller said: “Mr. President, you cognize a small spot astir gold. In fact, I deliberation that everything you interaction turns to gold.”

It was a acold outcry from 2016, erstwhile helium said helium was “100 percent” against Hillary Clinton and “99 percent against Trump” successful the aftermath of the merchandise of an “Access Hollywood” portion successful which Trump made crude remarks astir groping women.

Heller successful 2017 voted against a GOP measurement to repeal and regenerate the Affordable Care Act, angering the president. He aboriginal reversed himself.

“Absolutely,” Heller says erstwhile asked if Trump inactive has thing similar the Midas touch. “I deliberation he’s a batch amended than the feline we person there. Think of the differences betwixt the feline we person determination present and the feline that was there.”

He lists borderline security, crime, elections and acquisition arsenic areas wherever Biden and Democrats person fallen short.

“I mean, it has changed dramatically connected little than a year, simply from 1 president to the next,” helium says. “I basal down that comment.”

Looking to the general

Heller is already looking, and talking, past a apt Republican superior and focusing his attacks connected Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, whom helium lumps successful with Biden for each that ails the assemblage politic. Sisolak’s determination successful precocious March past twelvemonth to bid nonessential concern shutdowns successful effect to the exploding coronavirus pandemic has enactment Nevada “at the apical of each atrocious database successful America,” Heller says.

He adds that the pandemic was a play rife with “bad politicians making atrocious decisions.”

Asked what helium would person done differently, Heller says helium “would person trusted the instincts of Nevadans.” He stresses his absorption to each mandates and shutdowns imposed during the pandemic. Though helium and his household got the COVID-19 vaccination, and helium urges radical to get vaccinated, helium won’t mandate inoculations oregon masks.

“I judge that the unvaccinated are lone a occupation to different unvaccinated people,” helium says.

Questioned connected that point, Heller doesn’t backmost down. “Everybody thinks they’re an expert, everybody thinks they’re a scientist. That’s what’s going connected retired here,” helium says. “And each 1 of these scientists alteration their opinions each 2 weeks. So what are we to trust connected but people’s communal sense?”

Heller says helium volition proceed to impulse vaccinations for radical who haven’t received them, believing that is “the mode we eradicate this virus. But I inactive judge that radical person to marque those decisions for themselves truthful I volition ne'er mandate a vaccine.”

Ups and downs with Trump

Heller acknowledges that “from clip to time, we did person our disagreements,” but says they worked them retired astir the 2017 Republican taxation chopped program and a veterans benefits package, among different initiatives.

“We whitethorn person had immoderate idiosyncratic differences, but erstwhile it came to the America First agenda, I supported it, I helped constitute it. And I enactment it to this day,” helium said.

He doesn’t blasted Trump for fomenting the Jan. 6 attacks connected the Capitol, defending the close of protestation but calling the breach of the Capitol “atrocious.”

“I deliberation what was incorrect was evidently erstwhile they went into the Capitol building,” helium said. “They made those decisions connected their own. I bash not blasted the president. I’ve seen the videos. I’ve seen what helium said during the rallies, during the protests. And I deliberation that there’s nary mode successful my sentiment that helium was liable for the actions of these individuals of going wrong that Capitol gathering and doing what they did.”

Election integrity

Heller says predetermination integrity is simply a bipartisan concern, equating Democratic protests implicit alleged Russian predetermination meddling and collusion successful 2016 with Republican accusations of predetermination fraud successful 2020.

“We’re talking astir changing the result of an election. We’re talking astir changing by manipulating the process,” helium said. “So some sides thought that their campaigner had won. That was my point, that predetermination fraud is simply a bipartisan issue. Both sides are acrophobic astir their candidates and the result of these elections. And that’s my point, Whether it’s Russian collusion oregon its ballot harvesting, it does alteration the results of elections if it is abused.”

“But I americium a erstwhile caput of authorities here,” helium says. “I did it for 12 years. I cognize a happening oregon 2 astir elections and that process. And the past clip Nevada had a safe, unafraid predetermination successful this authorities was erstwhile I was caput of state.”

Since Heller near that office, Democrat Ross Miller and Republican Barbara Cegavske person served arsenic caput of state. Cegavske has stood down the results of the 2020 election, saying her bureau recovered nary wide fraud that could person changed the result of voting.

Heller said changes successful predetermination processes successful Nevada since his tenure person made ballots little secure. He mentions that arsenic caput of state, helium moved to person region registrars voters removed twice, successful Washoe and Mineral counties, for predetermination irregularities.

Asked if helium was assured successful the results of Nevada’s elections successful 2020, helium says it “was a mess.”

“No, I’m not. I’m not 100 percent confident,” helium said. Watching from the sidelines, helium said, “I deliberation the 2020 predetermination was a mess.”

No labels

Heller, erstwhile considered a mean Republican, rejects that characterization, saying it’s a statement often assigned to those who scope crossed the governmental aisle to get things done. In 12 years successful Washington, helium says helium passed “probably implicit 100 pieces of legislation.”

“Now if you’re assertive and abusive, and successful people’s look each the time, you know, it’s very, precise hard to get enactment done implicit there,” helium says. “And I judge that the champion mode to get it done is to beryllium down person conversations and enactment with some sides.

But helium does telephone himself “the astir blimpish candidate” among the Republicans successful the running. The announced tract includes Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee, Reno lawyer Joey Gilbert, and businessman Guy Nohra.

“I deliberation occurrence is sometimes described arsenic being moderate. And I cull that label. I americium very, precise conservative, I conscionable get on with radical truthful that we tin get bully things done for Nevada.”

With elector registration successful Nevada progressively putting Republicans astatine a numerical disadvantage, Heller says a blimpish connection volition assistance him win.

“Everybody wants the aforesaid thing. They privation bully jobs, they privation to harmless neighborhoods, and they privation bully education,” helium says. “And if they person those 3 things taken attraction of, they’re gonna similar the idiosyncratic that’s successful office, oregon the idiosyncratic that’s taking attraction of it.”

“I judge blimpish principles are gonna triumph this contention and this election,” helium adds.

“Since Democrats person taken implicit Washington DC, and they’ve taken implicit Carson City, look astatine what we have?” helium says. “I deliberation aft everything they person seen done lockdowns and disguise mandates and each these things that the governor, the government, has enactment upon them implicit the past mates of years, that a blimpish connection is going to win.”

Contact Capital Bureau newsman Bill Dentzer astatine bdentzer@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DentzerNews connected Twitter.