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Kihuen drops out of House race, clearing way for Titus
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Jessica Ebelhar/Las Vegas Review-Journal
State Sen. Ruben Kihuen, D-Las Vegas, has ended his bid for the 1st Congressional District's House seat. » Buy this photo
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Outmatched in experience and outgunned on the fundraising front, state Sen. Ruben Kihuen on Tuesday dropped his bid for Congress, clearing the way for former Rep. Dina Titus to probably win the Democratic seat in November and return to the House.
Titus had raised $422,000 so far, more than twice as much money as Kihuen, a Latino lawmaker in the middle of his first state Senate term. A poll Titus released showed she could beat Kihuen in the June primary by a 7-to-1 margin in the 1st Congressional District.
Titus is seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., who is running for the Senate against Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev. More than half of the registered voters in the urban Las Vegas House district are Democrats compared with one-quarter Republicans, making Titus a lock to win the seat.
Kihuen acknowledged he was in an uphill battle. Democratic leaders such as U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., had encouraged his congressional run, however, to boost Latino turnout in 2012, including for President Barack Obama's re-election. Reid had invited Kihuen to Washington to watch Obama's State of the Union address to Congress a couple of weeks ago, raising his profile.
On Tuesday, Reid quickly endorsed Titus and praised Kihuen, saying the bilingual Las Vegas lawmaker "remains a rising star in Nevada and the Democratic Party."
Kihuen said it wasn't in the best interests of Democrats to continue his campaign, which was dividing party loyalties and making core supporters have to choose sides. Titus earlier Tuesday announced endorsements from several union groups, for example.
"Unfortunately, the reality is that continuing my efforts to win in what would promise to be a resource draining primary at this time is not in the best interest for me, my family, my community and my party," Kihuen said in a statement Tuesday.
Kihuen said he would work to help re-elect Obama and to campaign for all the Democratic candidates up and down the ticket, including Berkley for Senate and Titus for Congress.
"I will do all I can to encourage Latinos to make our voices heard through the electoral process -- especially in November," he said. "For me, serving Nevada has always come first."
Nevada's population is 26 percent Hispanic. Latinos have become a powerful force at the ballot box, accounting for about 15 percent of the electorate in both 2010 and 2008. Hispanics helped elect Reid in 2010 and Obama in 2008 with more than seven out of 10 Latinos voting for the president.
The 1st Congressional District includes a population that is about 40 percent Hispanic.
Titus sounded relieved that she would not face a primary challenge. Kihuen had called her earlier in the day to announce that he was dropping out, she said in an interview.
"It came as a surprise to me," Titus said. "I've known him for a long time. I think he's making a great sacrifice for the party, and I want to make sure that his team becomes a part of our team to help the president get re-elected. We go away from this with no bad feelings on both sides."
Titus, 61, served one term in Congress representing Nevada's 3rd Congressional District before she was defeated in 2010 by Republican Rep. Joe Heck. Previously, she served in the state Senate for 20 years, including as the minority leader. Titus also ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor in 2006.
Reports filed earlier this year with the Federal Election Commission showed Titus raised nearly $422,000 in this election cycle and had $327,000 cash on hand as of Dec. 31.
Kihuen had raised about $189,000 and reported $135,000 cash on hand as of Dec. 31.
Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919. Follow @lmyerslvrj on Twitter.
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Why is there no article on LVRJ (that I'm able to find) about the Republican challenger in District 1 -- Brian Landsberger? He has a web site and that's about all I can find. It's too bad Titus will probably coast to victory. The woman will run for any office, anywhere just to get elected.
Doesn't this smack of payola?
Dina and Reid know what is good for Nevada, just ask them. They are way out of touch with the average Nevadan who really needs a voice in the political process. She could not win the last time because of her failure in Congress. Now she equates to a carpet bagger of old in a different district. She is looking out for only one person and that is "Dina Titus" not any other Nevadan. Her remarks about Mr. Kihuen further exemlify her arrogant and self serving psyche.
Oh, Mr. Green and Fed-Up...As far as Dina being a strong blah, blah, blah woman working her "I Am Woman Hear Me Roar" magic on anyone is pure worthless spin. The womens movement sold out decades ago. Titus has an agenda to get elected at any cost/anytime/anywhere, and she'll cherry pick her women's issues to further that agenda. PERIOD.
It would be informative if Michael Green would print a disclaimer..."I have always collected my paycheck/benefits/retirement from the taxpayer...So my political opinions are colored by my need to keep a paycheck coming and I support anyone who will keep that paycheck coming, even at the cost of my integrity."
Mr. Green, if I had ever read in your comments a slight diversion from the Obama/Reid/Berkley/Horsford/Titus/Progressive/Democrat platform, I would have given you the benefit of the doubt..but you seem to be in the toilet for anything that benefits your paycheck without scrutiny. Good luck buddy, you lost your implied objective stance long before 2008.
So far, nobody has proved Fed-Up wrong. By the way, Allen Samuels, try checking the facts. She took a leave of absence each semester the legislature was in session. She was paid the amount she was supposed to be paid for what she did. Don't like that? Don't vote for Democrats and don't vote to support higher education. Why do I have the feeling you've been doing that all along?
Oh Dina is just an unprincipaled political hack who doesn't know how to make a living unless her paycheck w/benefits, comes from the taxpayer. Everybody knows the snake oil she sells and she will be running "ON HER RECORD" and "REPUTATION." Ouch!That's going to hurt. Wait til Kuheun finds out where the Titus campaign bundles are coming from in the Dem Party/Teacher Union/all other unions, the ones he didn't get! Kuheun didn't have a chance to carry the election but I guess he can continue to sckrew things up locally at the Legislature.
Yes, let's again subject the voters of Nevada a steady stream of Dina Titus campaign ads and thousands of posters bearing her mug all over town! Haven't we suffered enough? Hasn't she run for every office possible in the last decade? Isn't it time to do something else, Dina? Do we need another Obama rubber stamper in Congress or is it time to go in a new direction for the sake of our country? Obama, Pelosi, Boxer, Berkeley, Reid and now Titus. . . again! When will this insanity stop?
Go away Dina TAXUS.
Dina Titus thinks she knows how to spend your money better than you do. This election is about choices...liberty or tyranny, bigger government or smaller more efficient government, balancing the budget or busting the budget, local control or federal intervention. Dina Titus is a typical liberal Democrat, who pretends to stand for the little guy, the middle class and the disenfranchised. But truth be told, she is a power hungry big tax and spender, in the pocket of the unions and other power barons of the socialist left. I hope the hispanic voters who have been slighted, and all of the common sense voters of this district send her packing!