Democrats court Latinos to keep control of Senate

Heller is not as well known in the Hispanic-rich neighborhoods of the Las Vegas Valley, where most of the state lives, but he has started to reach out, recently setting up a meeting with the Latin Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas. That plan backfired when he cancelled the meeting at the last minute to avoid Democratic trackers in the audience.

"The door is wide open," Heller told The Associated Press of the Hispanic community. "It was just a bump in the road. Everything will be just fine."

But Hispanics said Republicans like Heller can't just talk about the Latino community, they need to be there.

"He needs to do a lot of work," said Otto Merida, a Republican who leads the Latin chamber in Vegas. "It's not that I don't like him or I don't dislike him. I haven't had a chance to speak with him. He is not talking to anyone I know."

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Cristina Silva can be reached at http://twitter.com/cristymsilva.