Democrats pick Kate Marshall for Congressional District 2 race

RENO - State Treasurer Kate Marshall took a landslide victory over two other contenders Saturday, claiming 117 out of 122 votes to win the Democratic Party's nomination in the special election to replace Dean Heller in the House of Representatives.

Asked how she can win in a congressional district that has never elected a Democrat, she said, "you go to the voters one-by-one-by-one."

Congressional District 2 has 30,000 moreregistered Republicans than Democrats along with nearly 19,000 Independent American voters who are unlikely to support a Democrat.

But, pointing to the fact she won conservative Washoe County in both of her races for treasurer, Marshall said she believes she will win.

"If you look at CD2, there's a large crossover vote," she said.

She said voters in the district will choose by the candidate's qualifications, not their party label.

Her qualifications, she said, include helping guide the state's finances through the recession.

"I have been state treasurer when we've had the greatest fiscal crisis in history since the Great Depression," she said.

Marshall also has publicly disagreed with President Obama on several issues including the health care bill and economic policy.

She said the administration hasn't done enough to create jobs.

In her address to the Democratic Central Committee, Marshall said Congress needs to focus "less on Washington, D.C. and more on jobs."

"(General Motors) gets a $14 billion tax credit and you see your paycheck getting small," she said. "They seem more interested in Wall Street than Main Street. I think they could use a little more common sense Nevada back in D.C."

"I'd like to be your gal in Congress," she told the audience at the Grand Sierra Resort.

A total of nine Democrats remained on the list of 29 who have filed for CD2 after the withdrawal of former regent Nancy Price Friday. But only three filed the necessary paperwork to address the Central Committee - Marshall, Jacques Maye and Rex Ricks. In the balloting, Maye got five ballots and Ricks zero.

If the Nevada Supreme Court doesn't reverse Carson District Court Judge Todd Russell's decision, only one Democrat and one Republican will be on the Sept. 13 special election ballot. Russell ruled that, without a primary election to narrow the field, he believes Nevada law gives the major parties the power to nominate their candidates.

Secretary of State Ross Miller, a Democrat, and the Democratic Party are appealing that ruling arguing that all comers should be on the ballot. With some 15 Republicans filed, that would favor Marshall by splitting the Republican vote.

Republicans a week ago nominated former state Senator Mark Amodei as their candidate.