Cahill earns respect

Greg Harman

Thursday, Nov. 9, 2000 | 10:56 a.m.

In a congressional campaign launched on a child's dare, Reno schoolteacher and political novice Tierney Cahill fought her way out of obscurity and into 30 percent of the 2nd Congressional District vote.

And she still had enough character left over on Wednesday to hug and congratulate her opponent, Republican incumbent Jim Gibbons, at a special ceremony before 400 students at Sarah Winnemucca Elementary School.

Gibbons said it was the first time he'd been invited to spend part of the day after an election with his former opponent.

"It is something that is unusual," he said. "But I think it speaks highly of her."

Cahill's good showing led state Democratic Party leader Rory Reid to suggest that the single mother may be appearing in future political contests.

"It's the beginning and not the end of her political career," Reid said.

Cahill, who launched her campaign after being challenged by her sixth grade students, received 99,535 votes in the seven-way race, compared with Gibbons' 212,779.

Gibbons, a veteran of the political landscape who served three terms in the Assembly, has held the seat in Congress since 1997.

"It was really overwhelming sometimes," Cahill said, recalling her recent whirlwind Las Vegas tour with Senate hopeful Ed Bernstein and Hadassah Lieberman, wife of Vice President Al Gore's vice presidential pick, Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Although Cahill received the endorsement of her party, Democrats didn't invest much in her campaign. Her race was run on $7,000, she said.

"No TV ads, no billboards, no radio. Nothing," Cahill said Wednesday. "Just yard signs and T-shirts and a lot of foot time."

By comparison, Gibbons -- whose wife just snagged a seat in the Assembly in District 25 -- spent $210,270 fending off challengers.

"I do regret that we didn't fund her more," Reid said. "But I don't think she could have taken the seat."

If Cahill's race were measured in cost per vote, she would come out the winner. She spent 7 cents a vote, compared with Gibbons' 99 cents per vote.

Jon Porter, the Republican state senator who challenged Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., in the 1st Congressional District, spent $803,804 and garnered 101,276 votes -- about $8 per vote.

Cahill's students urged her at first to run for president. But she wasn't the constitutionally required 35 years old. She considered the U.S. Senate race.

"But there were a lot of people running for that. I wanted it to be something big. So I decided -- not to pick on Mr. Gibbons -- to run for Congress," Cahill said.

The experience may have uncovered a new hunger in the candidate.

"I think she's kind of caught the bug," Reid said. "I think -- she's a single mother who works real hard, who has a perspective that would be beneficial to the state of Nevada."