Sen. Dean Heller Dean Arthur HellerOn The Trail: Democrats plan to hammer Trump on Social Security, Medicare Lobbying World Democrats spend big to put Senate in play MORE (R-Nev.) says Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE must recuse himself from investigations into Russia’s ties to President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump says he doesn't think he could've done more to stop virus spread Conservative activist Lauren Witzke wins GOP Senate primary in Delaware Trump defends claim coronavirus will disappear, citing 'herd mentality' MORE’s 2016 election campaign.

“AG Sessions should explain his interactions [with] the Russian ambassador [and] then recuse himself from the [Department of Justice’s] Russia probe,” he told NBC News Thursday.

Heller is the third GOP senator to call for Sessions’s recusal from the probes amid revelations about the attorney general’s discussions with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak last year, which were not disclosed in his confirmation hearings.

Heller is a top Democratic target in the 2018 midterm elections, as Trump was defeated in Nevada by Democrat Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonBiden courts veterans amid fallout from Trump military controversies Biden looks to shore up Latino support in Florida MLB owner: It's 'very necessary' to vote for Trump MORE.

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Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsGOP short of votes on Trump's controversial Fed pick Congress must save the Postal Service from collapse — our economy depends on it Garcetti: I would have acted sooner if Trump hadn't downplayed virus MORE (R-Maine) said earlier Thursday that Sessions “should recuse himself to ensure public confidence in the Justice Department’s investigation” into Russia’s election meddling.

Sen. Rob Portman Robert (Rob) Jones PortmanRomney undecided on authorizing subpoenas for GOP Obama-era probes Congress needs to prioritize government digital service delivery House passes B bill to boost Postal Service MORE (R-Ohio) also said Thursday “it would be best for him and for the country to recuse himself from the DOJ Russia probe.”

Heller’s remarks on Sessions follow criticism earlier Thursday from the chairwoman of Nevada’s Democratic Party for not taking a stand on the attorney general’s recusal.

“Donald Trump’s most valuable player in the Senate is proudly standing by Jeff Sessions and doesn’t have a word of criticism for the nation’s top law enforcement official,” Roberta Lange said before Heller’s comments.

“It’s time for Dean Heller to grow a spine and demand that Jeff Sessions resign as attorney general, and it’s never been clearer that we need a fully independent investigation into the troubling contacts between the Trump campaign and Moscow.”

Reports emerged late Wednesday that Sessions talked with Kislyak twice last year while serving as a surrogate for Trump’s campaign.

Sessions, then a GOP senator from Alabama, reportedly spoke with the Russian diplomat last July during a Heritage Foundation event attended by about 50 ambassadors. Kislyak and Sessions then conversed via phone in September, a time when intelligence officials say Russia was intruding in the 2016 race with a hacking and influence campaign.

Sessions did not mention the conversations when asked about any contacts he had with Russia during his confirmation hearing.

Sessions said earlier Thursday he is “absolutely” willing to recuse himself from any federal probe of links between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Trump said that afternoon he has “total” confidence in Sessions, dismissing bipartisan calls for his recusal and some Democrats seeking the attorney general’s resignation.

The president has been dogged by his campaign’s association with Russia since reports emerged last month several of its top aides and allies were in recurring talks with Russian intelligence last year.