Professional golfer Natalie Gulbis, who lives at Lake Las Vegas, met this week with Republicans in Washington, DC, to talk about running for Rep. Jacky Rosen’s seat in Nevada’s third congressional district, multiple sources confirmed.

Rosen indicated this month that she plans to run for the U.S. Senate, and the Democrats have no obvious other candidate to run in CD-3. Former congressional hopeful Susie Lee is believed to be interested, though.

Republican state Sen. Scott Hammond is exploring a bid, and ex-Clark County GOP Chairman Dave McKeon has filed papers with the Federal Election Commission. Danny Tarkanian, who lost to Rosen by 2,000 votes last cycle, also is mulling a return engagement, but also is considering a Senate run.

“This was a top pickup opportunity even before Rosen vacated this seat – but Natalie Gulbis’ interest shows the field of Republicans in the Third is growing even more impressive,” one national GOP source told me. “Republicans are excited about Gulbis, with her unique backstory and profile, while Democrats have no heir apparent in the Third. Lots of reasons to be confident about our chances here.”

One well-connected Nevada GOP strategist put it this way: “I think there is intrigue and she definitely has some interest but everyone, including Natalie, is trying to figure out whether it is the right fit. NRCC is casting a wide net and they rarely engage pre-primary.”

Gulbis is a big Donald Trump supporter, and wrote in January of last year that he changed her life and inspired her to create a Boys & Girls Club in Southern Nevada. She defended him from charges of misogyny and appeared on “Celebrity Apprentice.” Gulbis also spoke at the Republican National Convention and said Trump encouraged her to “stand up to gender injustices.”

The district has only been held twice by Democrats and only for one term each -- before Rosen, Dina Titus held it after the 2008 blue wave in Nevada. No Democrat has won the district in an off-year.

Feature photo: Courtesy of Keith Allison under Creative Commons.