By Jessica Taylor and Julie Sobel
Updated 1:18 p.m.
Republican Sharron Angle will pass on a Senate bid against Rep. Dean Heller (R) and will instead seek Heller's open 2nd congressional district seat, she says in a new YouTube video.
Updated 1:18 p.m.
Republican Sharron Angle will pass on a Senate bid against Rep. Dean Heller (R) and will instead seek Heller's open 2nd congressional district seat, she says in a new YouTube video.
"The 2010 election was bittersweet," Angle says in the video. "Conservatives had some victories, but we still face obstacles from Democrats in Congress and the White House."
Angle's entrance into the GOP congressional primary likely clears the path for Heller in his Senate bid, but could set up a crowded and messy Republican race in the sprawling, largely rural northern district based in Reno and Carson City.
Angle isn't the only heavyweight who's eyeing the second congressional district -- Nevada GOP Chairman Mark Amodei and Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki are also expected to get in. Kirk Lippold, who commanded the USS Cole when it was attacked in Yemen, and state Sen. Greg Brower have also been mentioned as candidates.
This will be Angle's second bid for the 2nd District seat. She lost to Heller by only 421 votes in the 2006 primary.
Nevada Republicans had been hoping that Angle, fresh off her failed bid to oust Sen. Harry Reid (D) would pass on both races, but the former state assemblywoman has proved nothing makes her happier than shaking up establishment. Her campaign against Reid, once seen as a sure win for the GOP, suffered from numerous missteps and blunders. The YouTube video references her loss in 2010, flashing Reid's face on screen several times.
While she proved an adept fundraiser, pulling in more than $28 million for her Senate campaign last year, she burned through all of it at a rapid pace and ended the year with more than $350,000 in debt. Sources said Angle's next report with the Federal Election Commission will show that debt paid off.
Heller's seat leans Republican -- but Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) only won this district by 89 votes in 2008. Democrats think they have an opening to win here if there is a potentially divisive primary or if they run against a gaffe-prone candidate like Angle again. Candidates mentioned include state Treasurer Kate Marshall, former state Democratic Party chairwomanJill Derby and Assemblywoman Debbie Smith. The district is expected to shed some of its Democratic-leaning areas in Clark County during redistricting, but it could prove competitive. Heller quickly shored up support for his Senate bid after announcing his intention to run on Tuesday, picking up support from Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) and Krolicki, who had been considering a bid on his own. Heller said he hadn't spoken with Angle, but the message was clear: The Silver State Republican establishment had made its pick, and Angle was not it. While Nevada Republicans might have preferred Angle not run at all, they can breath a sigh of relief that she opted against the Senate race. Had she chosen to run, she and Heller would have locked horns for what would likely have turned into a bruising primary. They've been down that path before; in 2006, Heller beat Angle, though the primary pushed Heller to the right. With Angle out of the picture, Heller now seems unlikely to face a major primary opponent.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2011/03/angle-will-run-for-congress-16
Angle's entrance into the GOP congressional primary likely clears the path for Heller in his Senate bid, but could set up a crowded and messy Republican race in the sprawling, largely rural northern district based in Reno and Carson City.
Angle isn't the only heavyweight who's eyeing the second congressional district -- Nevada GOP Chairman Mark Amodei and Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki are also expected to get in. Kirk Lippold, who commanded the USS Cole when it was attacked in Yemen, and state Sen. Greg Brower have also been mentioned as candidates.
This will be Angle's second bid for the 2nd District seat. She lost to Heller by only 421 votes in the 2006 primary.
Nevada Republicans had been hoping that Angle, fresh off her failed bid to oust Sen. Harry Reid (D) would pass on both races, but the former state assemblywoman has proved nothing makes her happier than shaking up establishment. Her campaign against Reid, once seen as a sure win for the GOP, suffered from numerous missteps and blunders. The YouTube video references her loss in 2010, flashing Reid's face on screen several times.
While she proved an adept fundraiser, pulling in more than $28 million for her Senate campaign last year, she burned through all of it at a rapid pace and ended the year with more than $350,000 in debt. Sources said Angle's next report with the Federal Election Commission will show that debt paid off.
Heller's seat leans Republican -- but Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) only won this district by 89 votes in 2008. Democrats think they have an opening to win here if there is a potentially divisive primary or if they run against a gaffe-prone candidate like Angle again. Candidates mentioned include state Treasurer Kate Marshall, former state Democratic Party chairwomanJill Derby and Assemblywoman Debbie Smith. The district is expected to shed some of its Democratic-leaning areas in Clark County during redistricting, but it could prove competitive. Heller quickly shored up support for his Senate bid after announcing his intention to run on Tuesday, picking up support from Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) and Krolicki, who had been considering a bid on his own. Heller said he hadn't spoken with Angle, but the message was clear: The Silver State Republican establishment had made its pick, and Angle was not it. While Nevada Republicans might have preferred Angle not run at all, they can breath a sigh of relief that she opted against the Senate race. Had she chosen to run, she and Heller would have locked horns for what would likely have turned into a bruising primary. They've been down that path before; in 2006, Heller beat Angle, though the primary pushed Heller to the right. With Angle out of the picture, Heller now seems unlikely to face a major primary opponent.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2011/03/angle-will-run-for-congress-16