Alllison Copening

National Democrats are prepared to put some heavy money behind the campaigns of several Democratic legislative candidates in Nevada as an investment in 2012 congressional redistricting – when Nevada is expected to gain a fourth seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. According to sources, the staff of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has told DNC and DCCC officials that non-federal dollars ought to be earmarked for three races that will help Democrats gradually turn the state from light red to blue: State Senate candidates Allison Copening, who is challenging Bob Beers, and Shirley Breeden, who is opposing Joe Heck; and for Democrat Dondero Loop, who is seeking Republican Valerie Weber’s open District 5 Assembly seat.