WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Republican businessman Danny Tarkanian announced Friday he is dropping his primary challenge against GOP Senator Dean Heller, R-Nev.
Tarkanian revealed that he has instead been urged by President Donald Trump to run for the House seat being vacated by Congresswoman Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.
In a statement, Tarkanian said Trump and members of his political team reached out late Wednesday and asked him to consider supporting the America First agenda by once again running as a Congressional candidate in Nevada's 3rd Congressional District.
'This was not something I ever considered,' Tarkanian said. 'In my travels throughout the state, I've had so many wonderful people thank me for running for the U.S. Senate.'
He added, 'I am confident I would have won the U.S. Senate race and done a great job representing the people of Nevada in the Senate, but the president is adamant that a unified Republican ticket in Nevada is the best direction for the America First movement.'
Heller is seen as the most vulnerable Senate Republican running for re-election in 2018 and he may benefit from avoiding an expensive and bruising primary.
In a post to Twitter shortly before Tarkanian's announcement, Trump said, 'It would be great for the Republican Party of Nevada, and it's unity if good guy Danny Tarkanian would run for Congress and Dean Heller, who is doing a really good job, could run for Senate unopposed!'
Rosen, who is vacating her House seat to run for Senate, narrowly defeated Tarkanian in the race in Nevada's 3rd congressional district in 2016.
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