Dean Heller thinks that a nominee is unlikely to be confirmed in 2016. | AP Photo Sen. Heller hints at Sandoval SCOTUS nomination

Nevada GOP Sen. Dean Heller hinted on Wednesday afternoon that President Barack Obama should consider Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval for the Supreme Court vacancy, but shortly thereafter his office said that Obama should not send any nomination at all.

In his statement, Heller first broke with his party's strategy on a potential nominee, suggesting if Obama put forward a candidate it should not advance Obama's "liberal agenda," while stopping short of saying Obama shouldn't send anyone at all. At the same time, he insisted Nevadans should have a voice in the process and did not mention waiting until the next presidential election as nearly ever other Senate Republican has over the last five days.


"The chances of approving a new nominee are slim, but Nevadans should have a voice in the process. That’s why I encourage the President to use this opportunity to put the will of the people ahead of advancing a liberal agenda on the nation’s highest court," Heller said on Wednesday in his statement.

Heller also nodded to Republican Gov. Sandoval, who many in Washington believe wants a judicial appointment after his term is over.

"Should [Obama] decide to nominate someone to the Supreme Court, who knows, maybe it’ll be a Nevadan," Heller said.

The statement from the purple-state senator served at first the most direct rebuttal to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's plans to completely block a Supreme Court nominee. But Democrats quickly used it to attack Senate candidate Joe Heck (R-Nev.) for his noncommittal position.

Shortly thereafter in a statement to Bloomberg, Heller's spokesman said the senator would prefer Obama not name a court pick so people could weigh in during the upcoming presidential election.

The Nevada senator won reelection in 2012 even as Obama carried the state, a ticket-splitting triumph over the state party led by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Rep. Shelley Berkley, who dumped millions on him in attack ads. Although Heller's not up for reelection this cycle, his move suggested he's already keeping his eyes on his 2018 reelection campaign, though his walk back put him firmly back in line with McConnell and most of his colleagues.