Election 2014: Congress District 2

Mark Amodei

Residence: Carson City

Occupation: Member of Congress and lawyer

Party: Republican

Age: 56

Education: Bachelors of Arts, University of Nevada, Reno, 1980; Juris Doctor, University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 1983.

Record of Service: Lawyer, sole practitioner, 2009-Present; president, Nevada Mining Association, 2007-2008; lawyer, Kummer, et al., 2004-2007; lawyer, Allison, MacKenzie, et al., 1987-2002; lawyer, United States Army, Judge Advocate General Corps, 1983-1987; Nevada State Assembly, 1996-1998; Nevada State Senate, 1998-2010; president pro tempore, Nevada State Senate, 2003-2008; member, Colorado River Commission; member, Uniform State Law Commission; member of Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Legislative Oversight Committee.

Honors: 2014 National Guard Association of the United States’ Charles Dick Medal of Merit; 2014 Medicare Advantage Champion, the Coalition for Medicare Choices; 113th Congress, Guardian of Small Business, National Federation of Independent Businesses; 113th Congress Spirit of Enterprise Award, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; 112th Congress Spirit of Enterprise Award, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; 113th Congress Hero of Main Street, National Retail Federation; 112th Congress Hero of Main Street, National Retail Federation; 112th Congress Champion of the Merit Shop, Associated Builders and Contractors.

Platform: Since election to the U.S. House in September 2011, Mark Amodei wasted no time in delivering for Nevada. Identified by the Brookings Institution as one of the most productive members of the 113th Congress for advancing legislation, Republicans and Democrats alike praise Amodei’s ability to reach across the aisle to do what is best for Nevada. Recent stories in the Washington Post and the Reno Gazette Journal point to his success in a gridlocked Congress. His determined work lead to passage by the House of a historic package of seven Northern Nevada lands bills. These community-driven lands measures will create jobs without cost to federal taxpayers and will impact the economic future and quality of life for communities across the state from Storey County to Elko. Amodei focuses on issues most important to Nevadans, from jobs and the economy, to offering a successful amendment to address the disability claims backlog at the Reno VA Regional Office, to sponsoring the bipartisan Lake Tahoe Restoration Act. When the majority of Americans are indignant with the Obama administration’s and Congress’ inability to solve the issues of the day, Amodei is willing to go through the challenging process of finding consensus and advancing solutions.

Contact: http://amodeifornevada.com.

Janine Hansen

Residence: Elko

Occupation: Volunteer citizen advocate and state president of Nevada Families for Freedom

Party: Independent American

Age: 63

Record of Service: I have spent my entire adult life as a volunteer citizen advocate representing families and taxpayers at the Nevada Legislature, I have served in many callings in my church including in the women’s Relief Society, teaching children and adults, directing congregational music and choirs. I am the executive director of the Independent American Party and the Nevada Committee for Full Statehood. I served as the petition chairman for 16 counties for the Protection of Marriage. I am currently the National Constitutional Issues Chairman for Eagle Forum. I have been editor of the Nevada Families Eagle Forum Newsletter published every month since 1974.

Education: I graduated Sparks High School, attended the University of Nevada, Reno, graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Honors: I was chosen Nevada Conservative of the Year for 2010 by Citizen Outreach for my work representing citizens, families and taxpayers at the Nevada Legislature, National Eagle Award. I was named lobbyist of the Year by the Reno Gazette Journal in 2013.

Platform: I am running for Congress because as a wife, mother of four children and 12 grandchildren, I am concerned about their future and America’s. I have served my entire adult life as a volunteer citizen advocate at the Nevada Legislature for families and taxpayers. My priorities for families and taxpayers are restore economic prosperity — cut taxes and unconstitutional spending; promote free enterprise job creation; follow the Constitution, the foundation of the American Republic and our liberties; stop government spying on American citizens; repeal Obamacare; protect freedom of choice in health care; protect our borders first — “A nation without borders is no nation at all.” — Ronald Reagan; protect our individual right to keep and bear arms; return control of Nevada lands to Nevada; defend America first — bring our troops home; protect the Family — return control of education to parents, repeal Common Core; support traditional marriage and protect the unborn. Your vote is powerful! Congress has a 9 percent approval rating. You have the power to protest the inept Congress by voting for Janine Hansen for Congress District 2.

Contact: www.janinehansen.com janine@janinehansen.com.

Kristen Spees

Residence: Incline Village

Occupation: Estate planning attorney

Party: Democrat

Age: 27

Education: Juris Doctorate and a certificate in Global Legal Studies and Mediation from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, San Diego, Calif.; Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a certificate in Spanish from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI; Incline High School, 2005. Spees participated in five study abroad programs in Argentina, China, France, Australia and Tahiti.

Honors: Spees is the president of the Incline Village Bar association and member of the Nevada, California and Hawaii Bar Associations. She is a certified SDI Dive Master, TRT Ambassador, TAMBA trail building crew leader, and volunteer coach for the Incline High School “We the People” mock Congressional hearing team. She has volunteered with the Incline Village/Crystal Bay Justice Court and donated her time to research for Waste Not in order to protect Lake Tahoe from pesticide use. She also leads many non-profit activities including clean up projects and bike events.

Platform: Energetic. Enthusiastic. Optimistic. Youthful. Innovative. These are not words we often hear associated with candidates for political office — especially U.S. Congress. Let me, Kristen Spees, renew your faith in the youth of this country and maybe even in the future of Congress. I want to improve our state and our country by helping to create long-term policy solutions. Our representative should uphold promises, be fiscally responsible and vote in the interest of Nevadans. I am a moderate who believes in government transparency. I will get Congress working by actively and publicly demanding that my colleagues drop party allegiances and find workable compromise to get things done. I am ready to get to work and will show up to vote. I will vote for veterans, federal funding for education and to protect Social Security. I will work for more efficient government spending, jobs for Nevadans, access to public lands, immigration reform and tax simplification. My promise to my constituents is that I will be there for you. I will show up to vote, I will promote legislation that will be beneficial for our district. I will work hard for Nevadans to have a more effective government.

Contact: www.Kristenspees.com, kristenspees@gmail.com.