Joseph John Heck (born October 30, 1961) is an American physician and politician who served as the United States representative for Nevada's 3rd congressional district from 2011 to 2017.

Heck was born in Jamaica, Queens, a neighborhood of New York City, and was raised in Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Wallenpaupack Area High School in 1979.

[3] He commanded a Medical Readiness Support Group overseeing more than 2,000 soldiers in six western states, and continued to serve in that capacity while in Congress.

Heck started his medical career as a volunteer firefighter and ambulance attendant in rural Pennsylvania.

[5] Heck served as a member of the Nevada State Homeland Security Commission Sub-committee on Health, the American Osteopathic Association's Task Force on Bioterrorism, and as the medical director for the Nevada Hospital Association's Hospital Preparedness program.

[10] Heck served one four-year term in the Nevada Senate, representing Clark County's 5th district.

Heck narrowly lost re-election in 2008 to Democrat Shirley Breeden by a margin of 47% to 46% and a plurality of 765 votes.

[12] Although Heck had earlier announced he would challenge incumbent Republican Jim Gibbons for governor, he decided against it in favor of a run for Nevada's 3rd congressional district.

[13] After redistricting, Heck decided to run in the newly redrawn 3rd district, which Obama won in 2008 with 54% of the vote.

[30][31] The remark aroused a political controversy in Nevada, and Heck clarified that he meant to refer to it as an "inverted pyramid".

[39] He voted for a budget bill which called for a 10-year freeze to the maximum Pell Grant award to college students.

[47] Heck has voted for the Patriot Act and has endorsed the indefinite military incarceration of alleged terrorists.

[42] In 2015, Heck cosponsored a bill with Democrat Tulsi Gabbard that would award a Congressional Gold Medal to Filipinos who fought in World War II, who now live in the Philippines and the United States.

[50][51][52] Following the Isla Vista massacre, Heck co-sponsored an amendment to increase funding for criminal background checks.

[55] Heck was an original co-sponsor of the attempt to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

[58] In August 2014, Heck broke ranks with the Republican Party and voted against a bill that would have dismantled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

[65][66] Heck is opposed to the DISCLOSE Act, which would require funders of political ads to put their names on advertisements.

In July 2015, Heck announced that he would run for the U.S. Senate seat left open due to Harry Reid's retirement.

[75][76] Heck easily defeated primary opponent Sharron Angle, who had narrowly lost to Harry Reid in 2010.

Heck's campaign received millions of dollars of indirect support from the Koch brothers, according to the New York Times.

[85][86] In a recording of Heck at a private event in October 2016, he said he believed Trump may hurt other Republicans' electoral bids.