It seems that the GOP has found an honest-to-gosh state Senator to take on Harry Reid next year. After signaling his interest in the race all the way back in May, state Sen. Mark Amodei of Carson City, who's term-limited out of office next year, has launched his campaign for U.S. Senate. From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Amodei today announced he will join the field of challengers seeking to oust U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., from his job of 24 years.
"I'd rather run against Harry Reid than every other Democrat in the state," Amodei said during an announcement from the 16th floor of the World Market Center in downtown Las Vegas, overlooking the Strip skyline. [...]
Amodei's Republican opponents are expected to make hay criticizing him for votes in the state Legislature in support of some tax increases.
"The biggest challenge for any candidate is can you get out of your own tribe's primary," Amodei said during a low-key, jovial announcement.
In other words, Amodei may run into some problems with the teabagging base, despite being, according to Nevada political commentator Jon Ralston, "one of the smartest, canniest and, yes, funniest members to grace the rarely hallowed halls in the capital". That base will certainly have a smorgasbord of options for their pick against Reid, though. In addition to Amodei, other Republican candidates expected to run include ex-Nevada GOP chair Sue Lowden, former SoS candidate Danny Tarkanian and ex-Assemblywoman Sharron Angle (the Club For Growth's '06 favorite).
