Congressional District 2

Thursday, Aug. 15, 2002 | 8:41 a.m.

All candidates for Congressional District 2 will have an unobstructed road to the general election in November.

Incumbent Jim Gibbons, 57, a Republican, is being challenged by a Democrat 27 years his junior, as well as candidates from the Independent American, Libertarian and Natural Law parties.

Trained as a geologist and a lawyer, Gibbons said he wants to see taxes reduced and education "decided by local school officials, teachers and parents, not Washingtonians."

He also backs more defense spending, pension reforms and a prescription drug benefit for Medicare.

Democrat Travis Souza, 30, a delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention from Washoe County and president of the Young Democrats of Nevada, is focusing on education, energy, the economy and the environment.

He opposes the Bush administration's efforts to weaken clean air and water laws and says opportunities need to be expanded for teachers to achieve required recertification. He also backs teacher pay increases and corporate accountability rules, while opposing tax cuts for the wealthy at the expense of working families.

Janine Hansen, chairwoman of the Nevada Families Education Foundation and president of the Nevada Eagle Forum, also is executive director of the Independent American Party, which she represents in this race.

She supports Question 2 to keep marriage between a man and a woman, the right to bear arms and abolishing the Internal Revenue Service. She also believes the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from building a nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain without the state's permission

Brendan Trainor, 54, a customer service supervisor for a major airline and co-producer of a cable show in Northern Nevada, is running on the Libertarian ticket.

He backs U.S. neutrality, keeping the federal government out of Nevada and ending the war on drugs.

Robert Winquist, 56, a vending supply company owner, says he supports a nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain and promises to abolish the penny if elected.