It’s official: Ensign begins Senate race

Monday, March 6, 2000 | 11:20 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Former Rep. John Ensign formally launched his campaign for the U.S. Senate today, saying Nevadans are in "a fight for our lives" to stop a proposed nuclear dump from being built at Yucca Mountain.

Ensign, who will be 42 on March 25, scheduled news conferences at his former elementary school, Echo-Loder in Reno, and at his alma mater, Clark High School in Las Vegas, to kick off his campaign.

Having already raised $2 million, it appears he will not have any serious opposition in the Republican primary election in September.

Gov. Kenny Guinn will serve as Ensign's Nevada campaign chairman.

Most Republicans in the U.S. Senate back a law that designates Yucca Mountain, about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, as the site for a high-level radioactive waste repository if it passes a current scientific study.

Ensign, in his prepared remarks said, "No single issue unites Nevadans and no single issue transcends region, political party or industry like our fight against becoming the nation's nuclear dumping ground."

He said he wants to focus his campaign on improving schools, affordable health care and protecting Social Security and Medicare.

Ensign, a veterinarian from Las Vegas, served four years in the House of Representatives. He ran for the Senate in 1998 against Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and lost by slightly more than 400 votes out of the 416,000 votes cast.

Ensign is running for the seat being vacated by Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., who is retiring from the Senate after two terms.