Dina Titus

3rd Congressional District candidate Dina Titus.LAS VEGAS - EMILY's list, one of the nation's largest grassroots fundraising organizations, today announced their endorsement of Democratic state Sen. Dina Titus (D-Las Vegas) in the 3rd Congressional District.  Titus's race against incumbent U.S. Rep. Jon Porter (R-Boulder City) is considered one of the closest in the country.

With the endorsement, Titus gains access to EMILY's List's more than 100,000 members, all committed to financially aiding the election of Democratic women.  Not only does the list contribute PAC money to candidates and feature them on their Web site, but also sends frequent e-mails to members urging them to contribute.

This aid for Titus comes on top of a recent formal endorsement by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which has also committed to fundraising for her.

3rd Congressional District candidate Dina Titus.LAS VEGAS - Having served in the Nevada Senate since 1988, state Sen. Dina Titus (D-Las Vegas) is challenging U.S. Rep. Jon Porter (R-Boulder City) this year to represent the 3rd Congressional District.  Following a week in which we received your questions for Titus, PolitickerNV.com sat down with her Friday to talk about the issues that matter to Nevadans and how she plans on defeating the three-term incumbent.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today officially added state Sen. Dina Titus (D-Las Vegas) to its "Red to Blue" program and tapped former Nevada Democratic Party Chairwoman Jill Derby for its list of "emerging races."

The "Red to Blue" program is designed to target vulnerable Republican incumbents by raising money for qualified Democratic challengers. In 2006, the program raised nearly $22.6 million, with an average of $404,000 given to each participating candidate.

3rd Congressional District candidate Dina Titus.LAS VEGAS - This weekend, PolitickerNV.com will sit down for an exclusive interview with Democratic 3rd Congressional District candidate Dina Titus.

Do you have a question for Titus?  Between now and Friday at noon, we'll be taking questions from readers to ask the twenty-year state senate veteran, onetime gubernatorial candidate and current congressional hopeful.

Leave your question in the comment box or e-mail questions to joseph.cooper@politickernv.com.

Titus, who announced her candidacy against U.S. Rep. Jon Porter (R-Boulder City) May 1, is considered one of national Democrats' best hopes to pick up a Republican seat in the House of Representatives.

LAS VEGAS - Monday, state Sen. Dina Titus (D-Las Vegas) announced her campaign team for her bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Jon Porter (R-Boulder City) in Congressional District 3.

Her team, composed of a D.C. polling and media firm, a San Francisco direct mail company, a Nevada-based web company and a former Iowa Regional Director for Ill. Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, met in Las Vegas last week and was finalized Thursday.

"This is one of the best and most experienced political teams Nevada has ever seen," Titus said.

LAS VEGAS - Monday, The Las Vegas Review-Journal finished publishing the results of a Nevada poll, conducted Jun. 9-11 by Mason-Dixon.  Here's a brief rundown of the poll's finding.

Presidential campaign

John McCain (R) - 44%

Barack Obama (D) - 42%

Undecided - 14%

LAS VEGAS - Gov. Jim Gibbons' announcement today that he will issue an executive order for a special session of the state legislature next week is a warning to incumbent legislators to get their contributions in quick, the spigot's shutting off.

State law prohibits the governor, lieutenant governor and state legislators from either asking for or receiving political contributions for 15 days before, during or after a special session.  That prohibition will not take effect, however, until the day after the governor signs the executive order.

Gibbons said the session will begin Jun. 23 and will last no more than five days, meaning that it may be as late as mid-July before legislators can begin to fundraise again.

3rd Congressional District candidate Dina Titus at a meeting of the Clark County Women's Democratic Club.: Politicker Photo.LAS VEGAS - In a speech today before the Clark County Democratic Women's Club, 3rd Congressional District candidate Dina Titus used the historic candidacy of N.Y. Sen. Hillary Clinton to appeal to women to overcome remaining obstacles for women in politics.

"We have come a long way," said Titus. "But don't be mistaken, we have a long way to go."

Titus said that women still have to work harder and for longer hours to get equal rewards than men and that this exists for female candidates in the form of a media bias against women.

From left, SD-5 candidate Shirley Breeden, Greg Esposito, and AD-21 candidate Ellen Spiegel in Henderson last week.: Although most of the Democratic establishment is staying positive about Breeden's candidacy, the NSEA's endorsment of her opponent last week is a troubling sign. Politicker Photo.LAS VEGAS-Months ago, intent on retaking the state senate, Nevada Democrats cast their sights on Senate District 5 as one of two key targets. But hopes of capturing the seat may be fading as their candidate, a self-described "political unknown," has failed to win the endorsement of one of the pillars of the state Democratic establishment, the Nevada State Education Association.

And the endorsement of incumbent state Sen. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) by the state's teachers' union is just the latest in a series of missed opportunities for state Democrats that have led some Democratic operatives to believe their candidate, Shirley Breeden, is unlikely to defeat Heck.

U.S. Rep. Jon Porter (R-Boulder City).LAS VEGAS -- Facing probably the toughest reelection campaign of his career, U.S. Rep. Jon Porter (R-Boulder City) took some time last week to answer PolitickerNV.com's questions about the state of his race, his opponent and the man heading up the Republican ticket this fall.