The GOP is not letting any grass grow under it’s feet. It is busily identifying freshman and sophomore members of Congress it will target and seek to oust from their elected office. [Blue Jersey]

One of those targeted by the GOP is Representative Dina Titus who represents Nevada’s Congressional District #3. Titus isn’t alone, there are 70 on the targeted list. Republicans are working together in their grassroots organizations. The following statement from the GOP says:

Hi friends, Below you will find a list of 70 districts that the NRCC is targeting this cycle. As Chairman Sessions stated earlier this week at a pen and pad briefing, “There are people proactively coming to us. We are doing far less recruiting and more catching.” With that said we have the opportunity to focus on many more districts and some unusual districts that haven’t been targeted in a long time. We are very excited about our prospects in 2010 and look forward to having your support! If you have questions about a particular district please shoot me a note.

Here in Nye County, Nevada in Congressional District #2. The only grassroots endeavor I am aware of that is working to unseat Republican incumbent Dean Heller (ProjectVoteSmart) is the national Organizing for America organization. I’ve heard of no such local grassroot effort being mounted by the Nye County Democratic Party.

Cindy Trigg, a Democrat, in Northern Nevada had announced she was a candidate for District #2, but dropped out about a month later.

Paul Reeves, of Pahrump, announced he is a Democratic candidate for District #2 last Monday, August 3 at an event sponsored by the Pahrump Chapter of Democracy for America.

Jack Schofield, of Las Vegas, has indicated he is also a Democratic candidate for District #2, and is expected to publicly announce his candidacy soon.

So far as I know both Reeves and Schofield are running on their own without encouragement or assistance of the Nevada State Democratic Party or the Nye County or Clark County Democratic Parties. Nor have I heard of any recruitment efforts by the state or local Democratic organizations to find a competent, viable and electable candidate to run against Dean Heller.

Heller, being the incumbent, has the full GOP organization behind him. Makes it very lonely and difficult for a Democratic Candidate.

An open message to Paul Reeves and Jack Schofield.

I just ran across this Group on Facebook. The group wants to find a Democratic Candidate to run against Dean Heller in District #02. I thought perhaps you both would be interested.

They write:

We need a good, urban Democrat from CD-2 to run against Dean Heller in 2010 and here is why.
Jill Derby was the closest candidate to come to a victory in 2006. In 2000, when Tierney Cahill ran against Jim Gibbons, she received 1700 more votes than Jill Derby did when the percentage of voters per party were approximately the same! We need a good candidate like with the political skill and connection to Nevada like Jill with the story and Reno-Tahoe metro area residence like Tierney.
CD-02 has always been represented by Republicans from the Reno-Tahoe metro (Reno, Sparks, Carson City). Dean Heller is from Carson City, Jim Gibbons from Reno and Barbara Vucanovich from Reno. We need a different strategy if we want to stay competitive. We need an urban Democrat to run for CD-02.
Jill Derby has set the foundation for a good race to be had in 2010 but we need to take another look at the rural strategy.
Prior to Jill Derby running, the last time there was a viable candidate was 1992 with Reno Mayor Pete Sferrazza (41%) running against Barbara Vucanovich (52%).
Jill Derby shows no sign of entering the 2010 race. Cindy Trigg is out. Who is going to step into the ring from the Reno-Tahoe metropolitan area?

Perhaps both of you might like to let them know of your existence.

Mr. Paul Reeves

Interview of Paul Reeves

Paul Reeves for Congress – Nevada Congressional District 2

Paul Reeves for Congress – Nevada Congressional District 2

The Democratic Party still has two candidates to run for election for the United States’ Congressional District #2.

Mr. Jack Schofield, of Las Vegas, will compete with Paul Reeves, of Pahrump, to be the Democrat to run against the incumbent, Republican Dean Heller, assuming Heller does not run for some other office.

In a phone conversation today Mr. Schofield informed me he had not yet formally announced his candidacy, but will do so in due course.

Neither has Mr. Reeves formally announced his candidacy but is expected to do so August 3rd at a campaign event to be held in Pahrump at Honeysuckle Park from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Mr. Schofield’s campaign website can be found here. There you can learn a lot about his background and qualifications. He was a bomber pilot during WWII. He has taught school and held administrative positions in education. Dr. Schofield has been involved in local and state government. He served as a town board member (1953-1970), as an assemblyman (1970-1974), and as a state senator (1974-1978). The Jack Lund Schofield Middle School is named after him.

This blog will endeavor to follow each candidate and keep readers advised of relevant news and events.

CARSON CITY, Nev.—Cindy Trigg, an early announced contender against Republican Rep. Dean Heller for Nevada’s 2nd Congressional seat, ended her campaign Tuesday three months after it began.

Trigg, 54, of Zephyr Cove, alerted supporters to her decision in an e-mail.

“As of today, I am ending my campaign for Congress,” Trigg wrote. “This decision came after a sudden series of unforeseen professional obligations that required and will continue to require more of my attention than a campaign for Congress will allow.”

Trigg, president of the Douglas County school board, told The Associated Press she realized she could not embark on both endeavors and do them well.

“It just became very obvious that I needed to spend more time raising money than my school board issues allow, and I had to make a decision,” she said by phone.

“I underestimated the time that it was going to take.”

Federal Election Commission records show Trigg raised $8,700 and had $3,300 on hand as of June 30.

Douglas County Democratic Party spokesman Paul Belt said Trigg’s withdrawal came as a surprise.

“A lot of people are disappointed,” he said.

He said he hadn’t spoken with Trigg but was contacted by her campaign to distribute her statement.

Heller won his second term to the largely Republican district in November, beating two-time Democratic challenger Jill Derby.

Campaign finance reports show he raised $166,442 last quarter, bringing his cycle total to $264,790. Heller reported having $255,000 cash on hand. He’s the first choice of national Republicans to take on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the 2010 elections.

Heller’s spokesman did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment. [Times Standard]

The Las Vegas Sun is reporting that Republican Dean Heller is giving strong hints he will not run against Senator Harry Reid in 2010. [Las Vegas Sun]

It is now being speculated that he might run for Governor of Nevada.

It is unclear how much Heller likes Washington. His wife and children have moved back West after a stint in D.C. Heller told the Sun last year that he sleeps on a cot in his office, which is a badge of honor among some Republican members but also might indicate he is not enamored of Washington.

Trigg and Reeves will be appearing for a campaign event in Pahrump, Nevada on Monday, August 3 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., at Honeysuckle Park. They will each give their campaign speeches and take follow-up questions from Erin Neff, former columnist with the Las Vegas Sun and currently author of Progress Now Nevada.

The campaign website for Paul Reeves is now online. Mr. Reeves is a Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives for Nevada’s Congressional District #2.

Mr. Reeves opponent in the Democratic Party’s election to decide the nominee of the Democratic Party is Cynthia Olivas Trigg of Douglas County. The site of Mrs. Trigg is The Trigg Report.