LAS VEGAS (AP) - Republican Nevada Assemblywoman Michele Fiore, who’s known for brash statements, her love of guns and outspoken support for jailed Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, filed paperwork Wednesday to run for Congress.
Fiore is seeking to replace Republican Rep. Joe Heck, who’s leaving his seat in southern Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District to run for U.S. Senate. The race has attracted a crowded field of Republicans including Danny Tarkanian and state Senate Majority Leader Michael Roberson, with whom she differs on a tax increase lawmakers passed last year.
“If we want to get back on track and right this ship, we need strong Republicans who are not afraid to go against Republicans,” said Fiore, who wore a necklace with a gun-shaped pendant when she registered at the Clark County clerk’s office.
The two-term lawmaker is taking a major gamble by not seeking re-election to her Las Vegas district, where registration is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, and instead jumping into a race against a pack of better-funded opponents. She said she’s taking the risk after learning how often Nevada has to adjust its policies to meet federal mandates and keep federal money flowing to the state.
“Washington, D.C., is not Nevada and I don’t want Nevada becoming D.C.,” she said. “As I sat through the last term, that’s exactly what’s happening. We need to go to D.C. and fix that.”
Fiore added that she feels more comfortable leaving her seat because a fellow conservative, former Assemblyman Richard McArthur, is planning to run in the district.
Fiore is an ardent supporter of gun rights and fought unsuccessfully last year to allow guns on college campuses. She drew criticism when told The New York Times that she wondered how many “hot little girls” would be sexually assaulted if they had a gun, and how many crimes would be avoided if predators had a bullet in their heads.
She also drew headlines when she released a calendar celebrating the 2nd Amendment that featured glamour shots of her with different costumes and guns for each month.
Her most recent foray into the news came when she helped coax out a holdout anti-government activist who was occupying an Oregon wildlife refuge. She said Wednesday the experience, which took place during a tense confrontation between law enforcement and occupiers aligned with Bundy’s son Ammon, felt like being a 911 dispatcher guiding people to safety.
Other Republicans in the race include businessman Danny Tarkanian, who she pointed out has lost five races in the past, and Andy Matthews, a former conservative think tank president who she said needs a voting record before trying for Congress.
As for Roberson, who supported a successful tax increase she opposed: “I love Roberson’s record because it just shows how non-Republican, non-conservative he is. It’s a fabulous record to run against.”
The 3rd Congressional District includes Summerlin and Henderson.
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