Mitt Romney endorses Amodei in congressional race
Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney on Thursday endorsed former state Sen. Mark Amodei’s candidacy for Congress.
"Mark understands what is needed to bring jobs back to Nevada and get the country’s economy back on track," said Romney in a statement released by the Amodei campaign. "He will be a strong voice for Nevadans and will stand up against President Obama’s failed policies."
Amodei, a Republican is a candidate against Democrat Kate Marshall, the state treasurer, in the special Sept. 13 election to fill the vacant 2nd Congressional District seat. The race is drawing increasing interest from national figures since it will be the first congressional election in the nation since the approval of the $2.4 trillion national debt ceiling increase and a sharp decline in the stock market. Earlier this week, former President Clinton called on Nevadans to contribute money to all Marshall to buy more TV advertisement time. The Republican National Congressional Committee has purchased $250,000 in ads for Amodei.
The two candidates are bidding to fill the seat that became vacant in May when Gov. Brian Sandoval appointed Rep. Dean Heller to replace scandal-plagued John Ensign in the U.S. Senate.
Earlier Thursday, the Amodei campaign released two new attack ads that challenge allegations made by Marshall against Amodei.
In one, Amodei’s 79-year-old mother Joy shakes her head no while listening to a Marshall ad that suggests her son supports ending Medicare.
"That’s not true," she says.
Instead, the Amodei campaign states he will protect Medicare now and in the future. They also contend Marshall supports a plan to reduce Medicare benefits by $500 billion.
That reduction, however, come through changes in Medicare that are part of the health care reform act approved by Congress and the president last year. Republicans contend that money is a cut in Medicare benefits, while Democrats assert it is a savings that would result from reforms to Medicare. Both campaign run ads that distort the views of their competitors.
Marshall's campaign was not immediately available for a response
