CARSON CITY -- Democrat Jill Derby and Republican Dean Heller are tied in the race for the 2nd Congressional District seat, according to a poll by the Mellman Group of Washington, D.C.
Each drew 40 percent of the votes in a telephone poll last week of 400 voters in the district. Minor party candidates received 5 percent, and 15 percent were undecided.
Advertisement
In Mellman's last poll, conducted in early September, Heller led Derby 44 percent to 35 percent. A Review-Journal poll in mid-September found Heller leading Derby by three percentage points.
"Voters know that I'm concerned about the things that matter to them and that I will be an independent voice," Derby said Monday. "People are fed up with career politicians, and they want change in Congress. And they know I'm the candidate for change."
A Democrat has never won the seat in its 24-year history. Derby is an 18-year member of the Board of Regents. Heller has been secretary of state for 12 years.
Heller said his own polls have shown him in the lead since the primary.
"If it is even, I don't know how to respond except to say she has outspent my campaign 2 to 1," Heller said. "I will get out and talk to voters. I will talk to 200 a day for the next two weeks."
Derby's campaign paid for the poll, but staff spokeswoman Jennifer Crowe said the campaign had nothing to do with conducting the survey. Mellman has been conducting polls around the country for 20 years.
In conducting the poll, Mellman made sure that the people interviewed reflected the registration breakdown in the district -- 48 percent Republican, 34 percent Democrat and the remainder nonpartisan and members of minor parties. Republicans hold a 47,700 voter registration advantage over Democrats in the district.
