Nevada Senator Dean Heller has endorsed Marco Rubio for president. He had previously endorsed Jeb Bush.
Heller’s endorsement comes two days before the Nevada caucuses.
As endorsements go, Heller’s is not a bad one to have. Elaina Plott explains why:
Other than Lieutenant Governor Mark Hutchison, who chairs Rubio’s Nevada campaign, Heller is the state’s most prominent LDS member, making his stamp no small coup for Rubio. LDS voters gave Mitt Romney his landslide Nevada victories in 2008 and 2012, and Rubio’s team has courted them accordingly. Heller also has clout in Washoe County — the state’s key swing county — having represented it in Congress from 2007 to 2011.
Unfortunately for Rubio, Donald Trump is polling at around 40 percent or more in Nevada, about double the numbers of Rubio and Ted Cruz. Although Trump is said to have little ground game there, he looks to be in the driver’s seat. As was the case with Nikki Haley, the Heller endorsement might have more relevance to the race for second place than the race for first.
Heller’s endorsement is also a sign of things to come. With Jeb Bush out and Rubio clearly back on his feet, we should expect a spate of endorsements for the Florida Senator in the coming days.
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