2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Nevada

← 2004 November 7, 2006 (2006-11-07) 2008 →
All 3 Nevada seats to theUnited States House of Representatives
Majority party Minority party   Party Republican Democratic Last election 2 seats, 53.16% 1 seats, 42.19% Seats before 2 1 Seats won 2 1 Seat change Popular vote 260,317 287,879 Percentage 45.29% 50.08% Swing 7.87% 7.89%
District results County results Democratic   40–50%   50–60%   60–70% Republican   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%

TheNevada congressional elections of 2006 took place on November 7, 2006, when each of the state's three congressional districts elected a representative to theUnited States House of Representatives. Nevada was considered abattleground state due to the close victory margins. The primaries were held on August 15.

Nevada was one of seven states in which the party that won the state's popular vote did not win a majority of seats in 2006, the other states beingIndiana,New Mexico,Michigan,Ohio,Iowa, andWisconsin.

Party		Candidates	Votes		Seats
			No.	%	No.	+/–	%
	Democratic	3	287,879	50.08	1		33.33
	Republican	3	260,317	45.29	2		66.67
	Independent American	3	13,107	2.28	0		0.0
	Libertarian	2	8,000	1.39	0		0.0
	Independent	1	5,524	0.96	0		0.0
Total		12	574,827	100.0	3		100.0

Results of the 2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Nevada by district:^[1]

Incumbent DemocratShelley Berkley, who had represented the district since 1999, ran for re-election. She was re-elected with 66.0% of the vote in 2004 and the district had aPVI of D+9.^[2]

• Shelley Berkley, incumbent U.S. Representative

• Asimo Sondra "Silver" Lawlor

• Kenneth Wegner, Gulf War veteran and candidate for the U.S. Senate in2004

• Russ Mickelson, former Air Force pilot, retired Defense Department employee and nominee for this seat in2004
• Michael Monroe, handyman^[3]

• Jim Duensing, radio talk show host and nominee for this seat in2004

• Darnell Roberts

• Bruce Westcott, businessman and Republican candidate for Governor in1998 &2002

2006 Nevada's 2nd congressional district election

← 2004 2008 →

Nominee Dean Heller Jill Derby Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 117,119 104,593 Percentage 50.4% 44.9%

County results Heller:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70% Derby:     40–50%

U.S. Representative before election Jim Gibbons Republican Elected U.S. Representative Dean Heller Republican

The district covers all ofNevada outside ofClark County as well as some parts of Clark County. Incumbent RepublicanJim Gibbons, who had represented the district since 1997, opted to run forgovernor rather than re-election, having considered a run for Senate in2004.^[9] He was re–elected with 67.2% of the vote in 2004 and the district had aPVI of R+8.^[2]

• Dean Heller,Secretary of State of Nevada

• Sharron Angle, state representative
• Dawn Gibbons, former state representative and wife ofJim Gibbons^[10]
• Richard Gilster, pastor^[11]
• Glenn Thomas, retired aerospace engineer

• Kathy Augustine,Nevada State Controller
• Jim Gibbons, incumbent U.S. Representative and nominee for Governor in1994 (running forGovernor)^[12][13]
• Brian Krolicki,Nevada State Treasurer (running forLieutenant Governor)^[10]

There was a "fiercely contested and often bruising"^[14] three-way race (with two minor candidates raising the total to five candidates). TheClub for Growth poured in over $1 million backing Angle, and ran ads attacking both Heller and Gibbons as being "liberal" and in favor of tax increases.

After the primary, Angle refused to concede, complaining of voting irregularities that disenfranchised many voters in her popular home base ofWashoe County, which includesReno and is by far the district's most populous and vote-rich jurisdiction. Rather than calling for a recount — the typical route for candidates who challenge close election outcomes — Angle demanded to have the entire primary invalidated and held again. CQPolitics.com noted "Some have charged Angle’s decision to call for a special primary was based on economics: Had she demanded a recount, Angle would have been responsible for the cost of the procedure unless the result vindicated her request for it. That would not be the case if the courts were to order a primary do-over."^[21]

Exacerbating the disunity of the Nevada GOP, Nevada's Republican Party chairman, Paul Adams, announced his support for Angle's court challenge.^[22]

At a September 1 state court hearing, District Judge Bill Maddox rejected Angle's request on grounds that the state court lacks jurisdiction in congressional elections. According to Maddox, only the U.S. House of Representatives has standing to call for a new election.^[23] At that point, Angle conceded the race.

• Jill Derby, Regent for theUniversity and Community College System of Nevada

• Frankie Sue Del Papa, formerAttorney General of Nevada, formerSecretary of State of Nevada, candidate for Governor in1998 and U.S. Senate in2000^[10]

• Scott Babb^[24]

• James Krochus

• Daniel Rosen (Independent)

The bruising GOP primary, as compared to the Democratic situation, was reflected in the cash reserves reported by each candidate in their pre-primary filings with theFederal Election Commission. Derby had $444,000 on hand as of July 26, out of $748,000 raised. Heller had 260,000 left — and that was with 20 days left to go before the actual primary — out of $904,000 in total receipts, which included $108,000 in funds from his personal accounts.^[23]

In late August,CQPolitics.com analyzed the race: "Although the 2nd District generally leans Republican, Derby's competitive position in the general election was already strengthened by the fact that she was unopposed in the Aug. 15 Democratic primary while the Republicans staged a bruising battle among three well-known candidates."^[21]

The Las Vegas Sun, quoting University of Nevada-Reno political scientist Eric Herzik, noted that the intra-fighting has given the Democratic Party a chance in this otherwise Republican leaning district. "Jill Derby was already doing everything right, and then she gets this gift," he said. "How do you turn a safe district into a competitive one? Fight among yourselves. Republicans here have won because they've stayed united and they continue to turn out. Now you've got partisan infighting, and Adams' leadership is aiding and abetting that - in an already bad year for Republicans."^[22]

Incumbent RepublicanJon Porter, who had represented the district since 2003, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 54.5% of the vote in 2004 and the district had aPVI of D+1.^[2]

Porter was a member of the moderate/liberalRepublican Main Street Partnership and was a supporter ofstem-cell research.

• Jon Porter, incumbent U.S. Representative

• Tessa Hafen, former press secretary forUS Senate Minority LeaderHarry Reid

• Mark Budetich Jr, Merchant Marine electrician and candidate for this seat in2002 and2004
• Barry Michaels, chiropractor
• Anna Nevenic, writer, peace activist and candidate for this seat in2004
• Freddie Warman

• Andre Agassi, professional tennis player^[32]

• Joseph Silvestri, teacher, realtor and nominee for this seat in2004

• Josh Hansen

• Complete video of debate, October 19, 2006

On election day Porter edged out Hafen by just under 4,000 votes, by far his tightest margin of victory in his congressional career thus far.

• Election Results - 1962 to Present from theSecretary of State of Nevada
• Campaign contributions atOpenSecrets

• United States House of Representatives elections in Nevada
• 2006 United States House of Representatives elections
• 2006 Nevada elections

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