Former Nevada Rep. Barbara Vucanovich is endorsing retired Navy Cmdr. Kirk Lippold for the open 2nd Congressional District seat.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Vucanovich says Lippold offers a "bold, conservative vision" for the district that encompasses all of northern Nevada.
A special election is scheduled Sept. 13 to fill the seat vacated when Dean Heller was appointed to the U.S. Senate.
Vucanovich, a Republican who served 14 years in Congress representing the district, will also serve as a campaign adviser to Lippold.
Other Republicans seeking the seat are state GOP chairman Mark Amodei; state Sen. Greg Brower; and tea party backed Sharron Angle.
Angle is a former assemblywoman who won the U.S. Senate nomination last year but lost to Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid.