The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee invited Bilbray to the second inauguration of Barack Obama, where she met with party figures.

Although initially being seen as a competitive race, heading into the general election, most political analysts had Heck with a clear advantage.

The incumbent Democrat Steven Horsford, who had represented the 4th district since January 2013, ran for re-election, but narrowly lost to Republican Cresent Hardy in one of the biggest upsets of the cycle.

Being at a large financial disadvantage to the incumbent, the Hardy campaign adopted the unusual strategy of paying to run a Horsford ad featuring President Obama in the rural parts of the district where Republicans tend to poll well.

[32] Labor unions Organizations Newspapers Organizations On election night, Hardy upset Horsford by just over 3,500 votes, with a combination of, a favorable national environment for Republicans, weak Democratic turnout and a superior Republican strategy all being credited as factors in the result.