Exclusive Globe Interview: Dean Heller Looks Forward To the Fight Ahead

During a candid and lengthy phone interview with The Nevada Globe, Dean Heller came out swinging at Sheriff Joe Lombardo and Governor Steve Sisolak. Heller anticipates and is ready for a fight going into the primary, into the general, and when he is sworn in as the next Governor of the State of Nevada.

When asked why he was running for Governor, Heller replied:

“The state is headed in the wrong direction. Governor Sisolak has put Nevada at the top every bad list. Nevada leads the nation in unemployment, suicide, and crime. Nevada is 50th in education and the integrity of Nevada elections was just ranked as one of the worst states in the nation by The Heritage Foundation.

I want to fight for Nevada families from the governor’s office. I have served in both DC and Carson City and we need to solve the problem in Nevada from the governor’s office in Carson City. DC has been broken for a long time and fixing Nevada needs to be done at the state level.

Governor Sisolak created these problem for Nevada while he was in Carson City so I need to fix these problems from Carson City. A strong leader is needed to fix the mess Sisolak has created. Fighting for the state at the local level is exactly what Florida and Texas are doing and with proven results and that is what we need to do here in Nevada.”

When asked about the opportunity for bipartisanship in Carson City, Heller agreed with Jim Wheeler’s comments and added that as Secretary of State, he strengthened election integrity laws with the help of Democrats and increased the penalties for ballot harvesting.”Now, Heller said, “Carson City Democrats have completely opened the door for fraud in our elections by legalizing ballot harvesting.”

Upon inquiry about his conservative credentials over a political career in which he’s been portrayed as a moderate, Heller replied, “I likely got the moderate moniker buy working with Democrats, but I will take conservative ideas for legislation from anyone as long as the ideas uphold conservative principles. During my tenure as Senator we passed good, conservative, bipartisan legislation, like Innovation Zones, child and family tax credits, and the Tax Cut and Jobs Act.”

Pivoting to Sheriff Joe Lombardo’s big fundraising numbers, Heller stated,

“He is going to need every penny of it. We are 100% opposite on the issues. Lombardo supports vaccine mandates, red-flag gun laws and sanctuary cities. He also doesn’t believe there was fraud in the last election. A majority of Nevadan Republican voters believe there was fraud in the election of 2020, so he is going to need way more money that that to convince voters that he is a conservative, let alone a trustworthy Republican to lead this state.”

Reflecting on his history with President Tump, Heller recalled how the President characterized their relationship while visiting Nevada: “Trump said that we are like a couple of brothers who have their disagreements, but we always have each other’s backs.”

When asked if Trump will endorse his candidacy, Heller replied, ” I don’t know what his is going to do, but I would love his endorsement.”

Speaking of endorsements, Heller touted that he was honored to receive the Nevada Police Union’s endorsement and said, “The Union didn’t endorse a sheriff or a seated incumbent because the union knows that when I am Governor, they are never going to wonder where I stand.”

Where does Heller stand on the recent Clark County School District’s five-day shutdown to “slow the spread?”  Heller placed the blame on Sisolak and took a swipe at Lombardo:

“The shutdown of Clark County schools represents further damage to southern Nevada children under the pandemic mismanagement of Governor Sisolak and government officials.

The handling and management of the pandemic has been completely botched by Governor Sisolak and our kids are once again paying the price.”

Heller said shutdowns and mandates, such as the vaccine mandate imposed by Lombardo, have made the crisis worse and committed to ending all pandemic mandates when he is Governor.

When asked what would be the first three things he would do as Governor, Heller circled back to education and expounded on his platform:

“As a governor, the three top issues for every man woman and child regardless of race, gender, or income is better jobs, better schools and safer neighborhoods. We will not have good economic growth without these three things.

In regards to education, I think parents, teachers and principles are vital to a child’s development. Currently, if a child isn’t developing in their school, the parents don’t have a choice but to stay in that school, pay for private school, or home school. That is why I am a big supporter of vouchers. When a parent is given a voucher, they are given a choice….one that allows them to move their child to a different school. This choice, this voucher, creates accountability, and accountability is what we need, especially when Nevada schools are the worst in the nation.

On the first day I am Governor, I will eliminate mandates. All mandates go away: no more shutdowns, no vaccine mandates, and no masks. This is the best for economic growth and for education.

On the second day, but probably the most important, is that I will issue an executive order for Voter ID and proof of US citizenship in order to vote in the state of Nevada. People have to have faith in elections.  I can’t lead or govern without an election process we can trust and believe in.

I spent 12 years as Secretary of State of Nevada making sure elections were fair, safe and secure. All the new laws passed by the Democratic majority in Nevada and what they are now trying to do in DC will only promote corruption, fraud, and the loss of trust in elections that has been covered extensively in 2016 and 2020.

The Left knows they are wrong on every issue: education, crime, foreign affairs, economy, and the only thing that they can do is federalize elections to take power away from the states. Next, they will demand that illegal aliens will vote in elections and follow what New York just did. As governor, I will stop the Left in DC and do what is necessary to secure our elections. I will do the necessary audits to put the right laws in place for all Nevadans and candidates.

I want Trump to run in 2024 and I want him to win. Him winning in 2024 is key to getting this country turned around.”

When warned that his executive order would likely be met with lawsuits, Heller didn’t flinch. “I want to have this fight because voters believe in this. Voters want this,” Heller said. “I look forward to the fight on this issue and on all of these issues.”