Dr. Joe Heck (R-NV-CD3), right, made a campaign stop at local pizza parlor Bella’s on Saturday, July 16. Heck is running for U.S. Senate to replace Harry Reid. Congressmen Cresent Hardy (R-NV-CD4), left, accompanied Heck at two other Nevada towns earlier in the day. Photo by Barbara Ellestad.

Congressman Cresent Hardy (R-NV), says he feels better than he’s felt in years after suffering a minor heart episode Saturday, Aug. 27 and is back on the campaign trail in his re-election bid. Hardy, left, is shown with Congressman Joe Heck (R-NV) at a July campaign stop in Mesquite. Photo by Barbara Ellestad.

“Everything is great,” Congressman Cresent Hardy (R-NV) told the Mesquite Local News in a telephone interview Wednesday morning. “Everyone makes too big a deal about nothing.”

Hardy was responding to reports that he had suffered a minor heart attack Saturday, Aug. 27, and had been hospitalized.

“I feel better than I’ve felt in years,” Hardy said.

After he experienced several sharp pains Saturday evening he visited Mesa View Regional Hospital. Even though there was no hard evidence of a serious heart attack his doctor suspected “something wasn’t right because my protein levels were too high. They sent me to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George.”

Once there, Hardy said doctors placed two stents in an artery that had collapsed. Rather than calling it a heart attack, Hardy referred to it as a “heart episode.”

“The doctors think it was probably a pre-existing condition,” he said. “I was back at it before noon Tuesday.”

Turning to his campaign for re-election to U.S. House of Representatives, Hardy said his polling numbers “are looking good. We’re about two and half to three points ahead in national polling with a lot of undecided voters still out there.”

Hardy is running for his second term against Ruben Kihuen, a Democrat, to represent the 4th Congressional District. In addition to North Las Vegas, Moapa Valley and the Virgin Valley in Clark County, CD-4 boundaries include Nye, Lincoln, White Pine, Mineral and Esmeralda counties.

“Our walking numbers are great,” Hardy said. “Last week we knocked on 55,000 doors that included mostly democrats and independents. We’re looking very good.”

Hardy will return to Washington D.C. next week when Congress returns from its August recess.

He serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the House Small Business Committee.