Citizen Outreach PAC announced its first primary election endorsement yesterday, backing conservative Republican candidate Sue Lowden in the hotly-contested lieutenant governor race against moderate, establishment-backed state Sen. Mark Hutchison.
There’s a lot that can and has been said in this race, especially about her opponent’s decidedly lousy voting record in his one and only session as a state legislator – including three votes to implement ObamaCare, his vote to extend the $620 million worth of “temporary” tax hikes that should have expired three years ago, his proposal to tax mining up the wazoo, his vote to implement the federal government’s Common Core curriculum standards, his vote to give driver’s licenses to persons in this country illegally…and especially his refusal to co-sponsor the campus carry bill.
But all of that aside, the fact is Hutchison is a longtime personal injury lawyer with absolutely no experience or expertise in tourism and economic development whatsoever – which happen to be the primary duties of lieutenant governor as per our state Constitution.
On the other hand, Lowden – a former state senator and former Nevada GOP chairman – is not only a well-established conservative who has donated thousands upon thousands of dollars to Republican candidates, organizations and causes over the last 20 years, but has over 35 years of direct involvement in the state’s gaming and tourism industries.
While her opponent has the most money and establishment backing, Lowden is not only the more conservative candidate in this race who has been endorsed by the Nevada Republican Party, the Carson City Republican Party, Nye County (see below) and Veterans in Politics, she’s the best qualified.
This one should be a no-brainer for the informed Republican primary voter.
AND THE ENDORSEMENT HITS JUST KEEP ON COMIN’
Sue Lowden, the non-establishment-backed GOP candidate for lieutenant governor, also received the unanimous endorsement of the Nye County Republican Party over the weekend.
That means of the three GOP entities that have opted to endorse in the primary this year – the Nevada, Carson City and Nye GOPs – Lowden has earned all three seals of approval.
Nye’s backing is particularly meaningful, as Nye is “Ron Paul Central” and naysayers have been predicting for months that Lowden would have a tough time getting support from those folks due to the brouhaha that erupted at the 2008 Nevada GOP convention. Looks like those concerns have been completely overblown.
Because of the money advantage and establishment backing of Hutchison, Lowden still has to be considered a huge underdog in this race. But it’s become pretty clear that among Republican grassroots activists for whom philosophical principles matter, Lowden is the clear choice.
We’ll just have to wait until June 10 to see if that reality trickles down to low-information GOP primary voters.
