It's official: Titus announces for 3rd congressional district

Nevada Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus announced her congressional run in Henderson Thursday.: Photo by Joseph K. Cooper/PolitickerNV.comHENDERSON -- Nevada Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus officially announced her campaign for the 3rd Congressional District seat currently held by Republican Rep. Jon Porter in Henderson Thursday.

Introduced by Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid and state Sen. Steven Horsford, Titus, surrounded by fellow state legislators, Democratic candidates and members of organized labor, took Porter to task for supporting Bush administration policies and predicted that Republican attacks on her record are not "going to work anymore."

"This is the perfect day and the perfect place to be kicking off a campaign," said Titus at the Henderson Amphitheater. "This is the fifth anniversary of the infamous "Mission Accomplished" announcement. This was made by President Bush in relation to the Iraq War, so as we stand in the shadow of Henderson's veterans' memorial, let us reflect with sadness and dismay on just what this mission has cost our country."

Titus charged Porter with voting against veterans' health benefits and discussed the continuing costs of the Iraq War, which she estimated at more than $3 trillion.

"That is money that could be spent building and restoring our infrastructure, roads and bridges and schools and libraries; things that we need here at home," said Titus. "Jon, obviously you are not listening to the people of CD3."

Titus also accused Porter of voting against raising the minimum wage, the importation of Canadian prescription drugs, cutting student lean interest rates and expanding the child tax credit while voting for "$315 billion tax cuts for the wealthy" and a "$14 billion tax break for big oil companies at a time when they were showing the highest profits in their history."

Titus stressed her "deep roots" and "strong ties" to Henderson in an effort to deflect attacks on her for not residing in the district.

"I know this district, I love the people of this district, I am at home in this district, Mr. Porter," said Titus.

Shortly before Titus' announcement, both the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out dueling releases, accusing both Porter and Titus of records of raising taxes.

"After repeatedly voting to increase taxes on Nevada families, Porter voted to reduce taxes on oil companies making record profits. Jon Porter is working to help wealthy corporations, not the middle class," wrote Yoni Cohen, western regional press secretary for the DCCC.

Read the full DCCC release here.

"The people of Nevada's 3rd District deserve someone who will fight for them in Washington, not someone who will fall in lock-step with the Democrats extreme agenda of higher taxes and higher spending -something Dina Titus knows quite a bit about," said NRCC spokeswoman Julie Shutley.

Read the full NRCC release here.

Taking reporters' questions afterward, Titus addressed her out-of-district residency, saying "I don't think that's going to be an issue."

"I haven't moved for twenty-five years, they moved the lines on me in the middle of the night," said Titus. "But just coincidentally, two months ago I bought a house in the district for my mother to live in, so I have a house in the district."

On the late start to her campaign, Titus said "sure it's late. It would be nice to have gotten a head start in terms of raising money but we've always been outspent."

"I raised more money in the last six weeks in the last campaign than I did in the first year and a half, so I'm, you know, ready to go. It's not like I don't have a list in place; I'm going to have help nationally. I think you'll be surprised when you see that first report that we're competitive."

Asked why she rebuffed the DCCC's first attempt to get her to run for the seat, Titus said she had been eager to seek the state senate majority and had just finished a "brutal campaign" and noted that the district's voter registration numbers had shifted significantly toward Democrats since then.

Regarding her unsuccessful attempt at the governorship in 2006, Titus said "I think there's buyer's remorse out there about the person who won the governor's race."

"I think there'll be people who will think, ‘boy we should have voted for Dina and now we're going to vote for her."

ALSO on PolitickerNV.com:

• Titus to Porter: ‘Let’s don’t get personal’
• Titus to Porter: ‘It is time for you to go’
• Titus: ‘We need some fresh air in Washington’
• CARTOON | 30-second bullets on their way toward Titus
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