Former Rep. Titus's primary opponent drops out

Nevada state Sen. Ruben Kihuen (D) dropped out of the Democratic primary for House in Nevada Tuesday, clearing the way for former Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) to return to the House.

Citing a desire to avoid a “resource-draining primary,” Kuhuen said remaining in the primary would not be in the best of interests of his family, community and the Democratic Party.

“I will do everything I can to reelect President Obama and strengthen his hand by sending Democrats to the House and Senate, including Shelley Berkley, Steven Horsford, John Oceguera and Dina Titus,” said Kihuen, a Hispanic state lawmaker, in a statement. “I will do all I can to encourage Latinos to make our voices heard through the electoral process, especially in November.”

Kihuen and Titus were competing for the nomination in a newly redrawn Las Vegas-area district left open by Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), who is running for the Senate against Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.).

With Kihuen out of the race, Titus’s return to Congress is all but assured in this heavily Hispanic, safely Democratic district.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), a kingmaker in Nevada Democratic politics, immediately endorsed Titus, although he called Kihuen a “rising star in Nevada and the Democratic Party” and said he expected great things from him in the near future.

“With Tea Party Republicans in control of the House of Representatives, Nevada’s middle-class families need Dina Titus in their corner fighting to protect Medicare and Social Security, create good paying jobs that can’t be shipped overseas and holding Wall Street bankers and Big Oil executives accountable,” Reid said.

Titus lost her seat in the House in 2010 after being narrowly defeated by Rep. Joe Heck (R-Nev.).

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