Gibbons wins third congressional term

Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2000 | 10:44 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., who rolled to a landslide victory Tuesday, says he believes the chances are better in the next Congress of stopping nuclear waste coming to Nevada.

Both presidential candidates, Gibbons noted, agreed the decision to select Yucca Mountain as a repository should be based on science. And he said the election of John Ensign to the Senate gives him a voice in the GOP leadership, which has supported movement of the bill to ship waste to Nevada.

Gibbons won his third term defeating political novice Tierney Cahill, a Democrat, who called her showing, "a victory regardless of the outcome."

Gibbons says he doesn't know whether Congress will be able to pass a prescription drug bill in the next session. "There are a lot of egos on both sides," he said, adding it may be tough to get an agreement.

His 2nd Congressional District, which includes all of Nevada except the core of Las Vegas, parts of Henderson and North Las Vegas, has a 43,000 Republican voter majority.

While Gibbons was optimistic on Yucca Mountain, he said it would be tough to stop a bill that would outlaw betting on college sports in Nevada. He said it's hard to fight a bill that is backed by "very popular coaches" such as retired North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith and South Carolina football coach Lou Holtz.