Published Caption: Sen. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, studies language of the bill that softened the the 2006 Nevada Clean indoor Air Act during the Legislature in April. However, the American Cancer Society has petitioned Carson District Court to declare the legislation unconstitutional.
SPARKS - Mark Amodei took a decisive first round victory form the state Republican Central Committee Saturday to become the party's nominee to replace Dean Heller in the House.
He needed 162 of the 323 ballots to win. He received 221 to just 56 for Greg Brower and 46 for Kirk Lippold.
Like Heller, Amodei is a Carson City native.
The former Carson City state Senator and state GOP Chairman for the past year said despite having an obvious inside track, he didn't assume he would win.
"Having spent a year in this organization, you don't take these people for granted," Amodei said. "We worked very hard because the other side of this is if you get beat here, that's a pretty serious message.
"I will do my level best to make your decision here today look like a smart one," Amodei told the crowd at the Sparks Nugget.
Whether Amodei is the only Republican on the ballot or not depends on how the Supreme Court rules on Carson District Judge Todd Russell's decision giving the party the power to make the nomination. Those appealing the decision argue the race should be open to all candidates who file - a scenario Secretary of State Ross Miller supports but himself dubbed a "ballot royale." Both Miller and the Democratic Party have appealed that ruling.
So far there are 28 candidates in the race and filing is not yet closed.
Among them is Lippold who told the Central Committee audience Saturday he intends to continue his campaign for the Congressional District 2 seat no matter the outcome Saturday.
"That's his choice," said Amodei.
Brower, like Amodei, said before the delegates voted he would support the party's decision whether or not he won the nomination.
Amodei said he doesn't intend to take the race against Democratic party leader Treasurer Kate Marshall lightly either, even though no Democrat has ever won in the district covering western and all of rural Nevada. He pointed out that, in Dean Heller's first run for the seat, Democrat Jill Derby of Douglas County lost by just 4,000 votes.
Amodei said to give him a few days before asking about his approach to that battle.
He said his challenge will be to "counter the Democratic ground game" with a grassroots campaign.
Asked how he would deal with the federal deficit, Amodei said: he doesn't need his own plan.
"I would go with and stand up with Rep. Paul Ryan and say how do we do this."
"If you're going to balance the budget, you have to where the money is and that means entitlements and that means defense," he said.
Amodei touted his experience both in the public and private sectors. He has practiced law 24 years, served two years in the Nevada Assembly and 12 in the Senate. Before spending 13 months as state chairman of the Republican Party.
The special election is currently scheduled for Sept. 13.
Heller resigned the CD2 seat May 25 to accept Gov. Brian Sandoval's appointment to the U.S. Senate - a vacancy created by the resignation of John Ensign.
