Titus defeats Porter; Heller hangs on for Republican victory

RENO (AP) — Democratic challenger Dina Titus has knocked off Republican Rep. Jon Porter and Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley easily won re-election to a sixth term.

Titus led 47-42 percent with 99 percent of the precincts reporting to deny Porter re-election to a fourth term. She lost a bid for governor in 2006.

Berkley cruised past her 2006 Republican challenger Kenneth Wegner with more than 67 percent of the vote Tuesday.

GOP Rep. Dean Heller defeated Democrat Jill Derby. Heller, a freshman, bucked a national Democratic tide that helped turn the Silver State blue for the first time since 1964 in the presidential race.

Heller was leading 51 percent to 42 percent with most of the votes counted

Obama became the only Democrat besides Bill Clinton to carry Nevada since Lyndon Johnson did it in 1964.

"I'm thrilled that Barack Obama won," Berkley, 57, told supporters during a celebration at the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

"The United States of America made history today, and Nevada is part of that history," she said. "This message is loud and clear. This election means a change in direction not only domestically but internationally."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee targeted Porter and Heller on a list of 54 Republican incumbents it considered vulnerable.

Porter, 53, a former insurance salesman, had slugged it out with Titus in the suburban district in two contentious debates and with a barrage of attack ads.

Heller trailed early in the night in the 2nd District, where active registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by about 22,000 — half the lead they had two years ago.

While Porter, 53, voted in favor of a $700 billion economic bailout package in the House last month, Heller, 48, voted against it and seized on the opportunity to tout his claim that he is an independent thinker willing to buck GOP leadership and the Bush administration when he thinks Nevadans' interests are at stake.

Appearing at a rally with GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in Reno on Monday night, Heller asked the crowd, "Do you guys still think this bailout stinks?" They did.

Like last time, Derby, 68, tried to paint Heller as a "rubber stamp" for Bush while campaigning on a theme of giving career politicians "the boot."

In 2006, Heller won with 50 percent of the vote to Derby's 45 percent.