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Tierney Cahill walks with Rep. Jim Gibbons during his visit to Sarah Winnemucca Elementary School in Reno Wednesday. Photo by Associated Press Election 2000 Latest news, voter info and more

Thursday, November 09, 2000
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNUSUAL DAY AFTER: Congressman visits school

Gibbons' one-time political opponent invites him to class

RENO -- An elementary teacher who ran for Congress as a class project with just a $7,000 bankroll welcomed an unlikely guest to her school Wednesday -- the Republican congressman who trounced her.

"I think it's something we all ought to do, try to bring some civility back to campaigning," Rep. Jim Gibbons said in accepting the unusual invitation from his political foe.

Gibbons shook hands and embraced Democrat Tierney Cahill to the cheers of more than 400 students at Winnemucca Elementary.

"This has been the ultimate history lesson," said Cahill, 33, a divorced mother of three who teaches sixth grade.

"You can't learn this kind of a thing in a textbook," she said.

Gibbons easily won re-election Tuesday night to his third term in Nevada's 2nd District with 64 percent of the vote to Cahill's 30 percent.

"I was a huge underdog. I feel I did pretty darn well," Cahill said.

"I was shooting for 35 percent, but I knew that was really high. So when I broke 30, I nearly fainted."

Cahill explained last week at a rally with Al Gore's daughter, Kristin, that she got tired of hearing adults telling their children to go out and get involved in politics and community affairs.

"It came down to putting your money where your mouth is. Or in my case, your time. There's not much money," she said.

Just $7,000, to be exact, compared to Gibbons' $500,000 campaign warchest.

"No TV ads, no billboards, no radio. Nothing," Cahill said. "Just yard signs and T-shirts and a lot of foot time."

Gibbons, accompanied by his wife, state Assemblywoman Dawn Gibbons, said it was the first time he'd been invited to spend part of the day after an election with his former opponent.

"It is something that is unusual," he said. "But I think it speaks highly of her."

Her students urged her at first to run for president. But she wasn't the constitutionally required 35 years old. She considered the U.S. Senate race.

"We didn't lose. The process won. It proved that anybody can run for office," she said.