Name Dina Titus Preceded by Herbert Jones Siblings Rho Hudson | ||
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Full Name Alice Constandina Titus Role United States Representative Spouse Thomas C. Wright (m. 1979) Office Representative (D-NV 1st District) since 2013 Previous office Representative (NV 3rd District) 2009–2011 Education Florida State University (1976), University of Georgia (1973), College of William & Mary (1970) Similar People Joe Heck, Shelley Berkley, Cresent Hardy, Mark Amodei Profiles |
The honorable dina titus congresswoman u s house of representatives
Alice Costandina "Dina" Titus (born May 23, 1950) is an American politician who has been the United States Representative for Nevada's 1st congressional district since 2013. She previously served as U.S. Representative for Nevada's 3rd congressional district from 2009 to 2011, when she was defeated by Joe Heck. In 2012, she ran successfully for Nevada's 1st congressional district. Titus is a member of the Democratic Party. She previously served in the Nevada Senate and was that body's minority leader from 1993 to 2009. Prior to her election to Congress, Titus was an active professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She taught American and Nevada government at UNLV for 30 years.
Contents
- The honorable dina titus congresswoman u s house of representatives
- Dina titus candidate for united states congress district one in nevada
- Early life and education
- Academic career
- Nevada Senate
- Access to vaccines
- Regulation of credit card rates
- Measure to care for pets in emergencies
- Legislation
- 111th Congress 20092010
- 113th Congress 20132014
- 114th Congress 20152016
- Committee assignments
- Past
- Nuclear issues
- Reproductive Rights
- 2006
- 2008
- 2010
- 2012
- Personal life
- References
Dina titus candidate for united states congress district one in nevada
Early life and education
Titus was born in Thomasville, Georgia to parents of Greek descent and raised as Greek Orthodox. She grew up in Tifton. Her first exposure to politics came at an early age, when her father, Joe Titus, ran for the Tifton City Council. Her uncle, Theo Titus, served in the Georgia House of Representatives for many years. She attended a summer program at The College of William & Mary and was admitted full-time for the fall – without a high school diploma. There, she studied political science. After earning her bachelor's degree from William and Mary, Titus went on to earn a master's degree from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. from Florida State University.
Academic career
After a year teaching at North Texas State University, Titus moved to Nevada and a faculty position in the Political Science Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Over the past 30 years, her students have included a virtual who's-who list in Nevada government, public service and legal circles, and the popularity of her classes is reflected in the teaching-related awards she has received. She created and continues to coordinate the Legislative Internship Program at UNLV, which each session affords the opportunity for a group of students to work at the Legislature.
Nevada Senate
First elected in 1988, Titus served for 20 years in the Nevada Senate, representing the Clark 7th District. Her major achievements from the 2007 session included:
Access to vaccines
Titus authored a bill that requires health insurance companies to cover the costs of the HPV vaccine, Gardasil. Gardasil protects women and girls from 70% of cervical cancers. The bill passed both the Nevada Senate and the Nevada Assembly and was signed by Governor Jim Gibbons.
Regulation of credit card rates
Titus authored a bill banning "universal default clauses" that have enabled some credit card issuers to boost interest rates by 30 percent or more. The bill passed the Nevada Senate and Assembly, but was vetoed by Jim Gibbons. Credit Card providers Citibank and Chase rolled back or eliminated universal default clauses due to political pressure in the U.S. Congress.
Measure to care for pets in emergencies
Titus authored the bill that provides for the rescue of pets in a natural disaster emergency. The bill was co-sponsored by Senators Randolph Townsend and Valerie Wiener. Titus told Las Vegas television station Channel 3 KVBC: "We all remember heartbreaking scenes and stories from Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida... When lives are turned upside down by disaster, people seek comfort and normalcy. To exacerbate problems by forcing a disaster victim to leave behind a beloved pet – a member of their family – is both unconscionable and entirely unnecessary. Emergency responders can and should take into account pets and service animals in disaster rescue and recovery plans. Planning could save disaster victims from needless additional pain at a most difficult time." The bill was signed into law in June 2007.
Legislation
Titus has sponsored at least 59 bills, including:
111th Congress (2009–2010)
113th Congress (2013–2014)
114th Congress (2015–2016)
Committee assignments
Past
Nuclear issues
Titus is the author of Bombs in the Backyard: Atomic Testing and American Politics and Battle Born: Federal-State Relations in Nevada During the Twentieth Century.
Reproductive Rights
Titus received a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood's 2014 Congressional Scorecard for opposing a nationwide abortion ban after 20 weeks and supporting abortion access in the District of Columbia and through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
2006
Incumbent Governor Kenny Guinn could not run in 2006 due to term limits. Titus won the Democratic nomination, but lost to Republican Congressman Jim Gibbons. While Titus won Clark County, her margin there was not enough to overcome a landslide margin in Gibbons' 2nd District.
2008
Democrats were heavily targeting 3rd district Republican incumbent Jon Porter. Their top candidate was Clark County prosecutor Robert Daskas, but in April, Daskas dropped out for family reasons. Democrats then quickly recruited Titus, who had won the district in her unsuccessful 2006 run for governor. Titus defeated Porter in November, 47% to 42%, becoming the first Democrat to represent the District. She was a major beneficiary of the overall anti-Bush sentiment in the Las Vegas area. She was elected Regional Whip in the 111th Congress.
2010
Titus was defeated by Republican former State Senator Joe Heck by a margin of less than 2000 votes.
2012
On October 31, 2011; Titus entered the Democratic primary for Nevada's 1st congressional district, where her home had been drawn in redistricting. The incumbent, fellow Democrat Shelley Berkley, gave up the seat to run for the United States Senate. While the 3rd is considered a swing district, the 1st is far and away the safest Democratic seat in Nevada. She initially faced a challenge from State Senator Ruben Kihuen in the Democratic primary. Kihuen dropped out in February 2012, reportedly due to Titus leading him in polls and fundraising. This all but assured Titus' return to Congress after a two-year absence. She easily defeated her Republican challenger, Chris Edwards.
Personal life
Titus has been married to Prof. Thomas C. Wright for 30 years. Wright's studies in his field of expertise, Latin American history, has taken the couple on extended journeys throughout Central and South America and to Spain. He is a retired professor of history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Dina Titus is also a member of the Tortoise Group of Clark County, Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation, PEO International, National League of American Pen Women, Nevada Women's Lobby, Women's Research Institute of Nevada, Nevada Commission on Participatory Democracy, Clark County Neighborhood Justice Center, Las Vegas Little Theater, the Educational Commission of the States, National Wildlife Federation, and the Nature Conservancy. On April 13, 2009, she was named Outstanding Democrat of the Year by the Paradise Democratic Club of Las Vegas for the second time. President Obama sent her a congratulatory letter. In December 2010, Senator Harry Reid appointed her to a six-year term on the United States Commission on Civil Rights.