Congresswoman Dina Titus, D-Nev., responds to a question during an editorial board meeting at the Las Vegas Sun office in Henderson Friday, Oct. 7, 2022.
Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022 | 2 a.m.
View more of the Sun's opinion section
Accomplishing anything in the United States House of Representatives requires incredible patience. The “people’s chamber” of the federal legislature has 435 members from every corner of the country competing for time and attention. And all of them, in theory, have made a commitment to deliver for their constituents.
Fortunately for Nevada, we have an all-star trio of representatives with a demonstrated track record of working with one another and with their colleagues to get things done for Nevada.
Steven Horsford, Dina Titus and Susie Lee are rare examples of legislators who are tireless advocates for the communities they serve and utilitarian realists who seek compromises to get the votes they need to deliver. They don’t always agree with their Republican counterparts, but they recognize the diversity of the country, the validity of elections that put them and their colleagues in office, and the need to keep moving the nation forward.
They are also unique in their complementary skills and expertise. Together, they have in-depth knowledge and experience in every area of critical concern for Southern Nevada. Couple this with their ability to hammer out compromises across the aisle and you have a trio who deftly navigated the halls of the U.S. Capitol and gained powerful appointments on committees with real influence over the lives of Nevadans.
As we wrote back in 2018, when we first endorsed the trio, Nevada is fortunate to have a powerful slate of candidates for the U.S. House who have proved they embody the best of modern, forward-looking Nevada.
In 2020, we added that, “Nevada Reps. Susie Lee, Steven Horsford and Dina Titus have established themselves as champions of Southern Nevada causes in Washington, D.C.”
Both of those statements remain true.
We believe Reps. Titus, Lee and Horsford represent the best hope for Nevada to continue to be treated with respect and authority in the halls of Congress. They also ensure that Nevadans will have our needs and issues prioritized at the federal level.
They are also the best hope for defending Nevada against the onslaught of policies targeted at limiting our civil rights.
And they’ve proven that when it comes to fighting for the freedoms and rights of Nevadans, they won’t back down. We endorse them without reservation as individuals, and as a powerful team fighting together for the good of Nevada.
District 1: Dina Titus
Dina Titus is among the most visible and accessible of all congressional representatives. Currently in her sixth term in Congress, she still travels back to Southern Nevada almost every weekend and is present for almost every major event in the region.
A bona fide expert on nuclear energy, weaponry and waste, Titus stood firmly against the reopening of the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository and is a leading voice on nuclear technology for the committees on Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs.
She’s also used her expertise to deliver for Nevadans by earning an appointment as chair of the powerful subcommittee on transportation and infrastructure. The position enables her to advocate for large infrastructure projects that bring high-paying jobs, investment and innovation to the region. Several of these projects also have the potential to help Nevada address the looming water crisis, respond to the impacts of climate change and make Southern Nevada a leader in renewable energy — issues that are critical to the United States’ national security interests.
Her opponent, Mark Robertson, was one just a few Republican candidates to respond to our invitation to participate in an endorsement interview. And in his interview, he gave us some hope that the respected Republican Party of the past is not entirely gone.
However, despite his more measured views on governance, he stated clearly that states should be entitled to overturn basic civil rights such as same-sex marriage and destroy civic institutions like public K-12 education in favor of private schools. He also opposes commonsense gun reforms such as banning high-capacity magazines whose only purpose is mass casualties.
In addition, a vote for Robertson is a vote to give the leadership gavel to Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, who has prostrated himself before disgraced former President Donald Trump and pledged to spend the next two years paralyzing the nation with vengeance investigations of President Joe Biden, in addition to alienating U.S. allies by waving the white flag to Russia in its ongoing effort to destroy Ukraine.
Given this contrast, Titus is the clear choice for creating safer communities, stronger schools and preserving civil rights. She is a powerhouse veteran legislator, and we offer our strong endorsement.
Susie Lee, Democrat representative for Nevadas 3rd congressional district, responds to a question during an editorial board meeting at the Las Vegas Sun offices in Henderson Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. Brian Ramos
District 3: Susie Lee
In Southern Nevada, few people have done as much as Susie Lee to help our children, communities and schools. Lee spent years on the ground fighting for safer communities, better schools, and resources for children and families who need a little help to stay on track.
In her first term in Congress, Lee introduced legislation to reduce Nevada class sizes and increase the quality of education in our schools. Recognizing that quality education requires stable funding, she also introduced the Keep our PACT Act, which safeguards funding for schools in Nevada that predominantly serve low-income communities, as well as funding to support students with disabilities.
Rated the 10th-most bipartisan member of the House by the Lugar Center and McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, Lee has built a reputation for building strong bipartisan coalitions. She is a proud member of the Problem Solvers caucus — a group with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans that meets every week to find common ground on legislation.
Among all the legislators we interviewed, she had the most specific plans for rebuilding the country’s K-12 education system and tackling the roots of the higher education student debt crisis. She also demonstrated an impressive grasp of the Western states’ water crisis and the impacts of climate change.
Her opponent, April Becker, doesn’t mention the word climate or environment anywhere on her campaign website. And because she never responded to our invitation to participate in an interview, we never had the opportunity to ask her about it.
Becker is also an election-denying conspiracy theorist who has filed multiple lawsuits alleging voter fraud. All were dismissed for lack of evidence. Of course, she never alleged that same mass fraud when she won in the June primary. Apparently, Becker only believes elections should be overturned if she or those in her party lose them.
Becker is clearly unfit for office, while Lee has repeatedly demonstrated that despite being the junior member of the delegation, when it comes to advocating for Nevada’s children, families and schools, she is a force to be reckoned with. We proudly offer our endorsement to Lee.
Representative (D-NV 4th District) Steven Horsford speaks to the Las Vegas Sun editorial board Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.
District 4: Steven Horsford
If Titus is the expert on energy and infrastructure, and Lee is the expert on education, Steven Horsford is undeniably the candidate with the greatest expertise on Southern Nevada’s economy. A former local small-business owner and CEO of the Culinary Training Academy, Horsford has lived the life of Southern Nevada’s hospitality industry and the small businesses that support it.
More importantly, he understands the barriers that many small-business owners and hospitality workers must overcome when trying to build long-term financial security.
As a result, he has become a champion of fighting to cut costs and reduce red tape for everyday Nevadans. Whether it’s his legislation to lower housing, health care and prescription costs, or his work to streamline processes for entrepreneurs and provide greater support for small-business owners, Horsford is always looking out for the little guy.
In his years in leadership in the state Legislature, Horsford came to know the finely grained details of challenges facing every corner of Nevada.
With a sprawling district that stretches from downtown Las Vegas nearly halfway across the state to southern Lyon County, Horsford is also a strong advocate for rural communities. He presented detailed plans to create trade school and other skills-based educational opportunities in rural parts of the state. To incentivize participation, Horsford proposed the truly novel idea of extending Pell Grant availability to students in non-degree training programs and trade schools.
In short, Horsford is committed to fighting for the rights of all Nevadans to pursue opportunities for educational and economic prosperity. He is a true fighter for the middle and working class. He also demonstrated a profound understanding of every issue we put before him.
His opponent, Sam Peters, deserves credit for being among the few Republican candidates to respond to our interview invitation. But he also deserves rebuke for spending the vast majority of the interview distorting facts, promoting conspiracy theories and refusing to provide any details about his legislative proposals.
Peters is an extremist who is unfit to hold office. For him to win an election against a candidate as dedicated to Nevada’s future as Horsford would be a travesty. We encourage voters to avoid that travesty by rejecting Peters and voting for Horsford, whom we endorse wholeheartedly.
