Politics

Democrat Jacky Rosen unseats Dean Heller in Nevada Senate race: NBC News

Key Points
  • Democrat Jacky Rosen will win Nevada's Senate race, notching a critical pickup for her party, NBC News projects.
  • The first-term representative will defeat incumbent Sen. Dean Heller, the Senate's most vulnerable GOP member this year, NBC said.
  • Rosen's projected win is the first Democratic pickup in the Senate of this year's election, as the Republicans expanded their grip on the chamber.
U.S. Rep. and U.S. Senate candidate Jacky Rosen (D-NV) speaks after winning her Senate race against U.S. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) at the Nevada Democratic Party's election results watch party at Caesars Palace on November 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
Ethan Miller | Getty Images

Democrat Jacky Rosen will win Nevada's Senate race, notching a critical pickup for her party, NBC News projects.

The first-term representative will defeat incumbent Sen. Dean Heller, the Senate's most vulnerable GOP member this year, NBC said. Rosen's projected win is the first Democratic pickup in the Senate of this year's election, as the Republicans expanded their grip on the chamber.

Republicans and Democrats are jockeying for control of the Senate, with the GOP favored to keep its majority. Even if Democrats cannot take a majority, Rosen's win will help Democrats limit Republican gains.

Rosen, 61, repeatedly targeted Heller over health care after he voted for one of the Republican plans to repeal Obamacare last year. She slammed him for reversing course after he said he would not vote for one of the GOP proposals to overhaul the health-care system.

Rosen did try to cast herself as a moderate on some issues in a state Democrat Hillary Clinton won narrowly in 2016. In September, she voted for the bill to make the GOP's individual tax cut passed last year permanent.

But the representative also argued Heller is too beholden to President Donald Trump and Washington Republicans.

How the midterms will affect Trump's economy
VIDEO4:1304:13
How the midterms will affect Trump's economy