Rep. Joe Heck says he’s exploring a possible Senate bid

LAS VEGAS — Nevada Republican Congressman Joe Heck says he’s talking with people about the possibility of running for the Senate in 2016.

Heck told the Las Vegas Sun that he’s doing his “due diligence” to explore a bid for the seat currently held by Democratic Sen. Harry Reid. That’s a change from the past, when Heck has said he’s not interested in running.

Reid announced last month that he would not seek a sixth term. Democratic former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto announced a bid for the seat earlier this month.

Heck was elected to Congressional District 3 in southern Nevada in 2010 and previously served for four years in the Nevada state Senate.