Heller, Dean (1960-…), served as a United States senator from 2011 to 2019. Heller, a Republican, represented Nevada. Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval appointed Heller to the seat following the resignation of Senator John Ensign. Ensign had been the target of a Senate ethics investigation. In November 2012, Heller was elected to a full Senate term. Prior to Heller’s appointment to the Senate, he had served as a U.S. representative.
Heller was born on May 10, 1960, in Castro Valley, California. His family later moved to Carson City, Nevada. In 1985, Heller received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California. Following graduation, Heller worked as a stockbroker. In 1990, he won election to the Nevada State Assembly. He served there from 1991 to 1995.
In 1994, Heller won election as Nevada’s secretary of state. He was reelected in 1998 and 2002. In 2006, Heller was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He won reelection in 2008 and 2010. In the House, Heller served on the Ways and Means Committee. He also served as vice chairman of the Western Caucus, a group that supports the development of natural resources in the West. In April 2011, Governor Sandoval named Heller to fill the vacancy left by Senator Ensign’s resignation. Heller was elected to a full six-year term in 2012. In the Senate, Heller served on the committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Finance; and Veterans’ Affairs. In 2018, Heller campaigned for reelection but lost to his Democratic opponent, U.S. Representative Jacky Rosen.
