Nevada Is Special Test for Parties
Former Nevada Republican Party Chairman Mark Amodei begins as the favorite to win in the 2nd district, which has never elected a Democrat in the 30 years of its existence. But President Barack Obama came within 100 votes of carrying it in 2008, and Democrats see a path to victory for state Treasurer Kate Marshall, with assistance from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
The general sense among insiders is that if Amodei wins, the election will have gone as expected in the conservative district. But if Marshall pulls off an upset, Democrats could spin it in any number of directions, including its implications on the Senate and presidential races next year.
The game of expectation-setting is already under way.