Nevada's 2nd congressional district election, 2006

The 2006 Nevada 2nd Congressional District Election was held on November 7 to elect a representative from the Nevada's 2nd congressional district, which covers all of Nevada outside Clark County, and some parts of Clark County. Republican Party candidate Dean Heller won the election. It was an open seat because the incumbent, Republican Jim Gibbons, made a successful run for governor.

A bitterly contested Republican primary on August 15, 2006 was won by Secretary of State Dean Heller. The Democratic nominee, Jill Derby, Regent for the Nevada System of Higher Education, had no primary opposition.

In late August, CQPolitics.com analyzed the race: "Although the 2nd District generally leans Republican, Derby's competitive position in the general election was already strengthened by the fact that she was unopposed in the Aug. 15 Democratic primary while the Republicans staged a bruising battle among three well-known candidates."

Representatives are elected for two-year terms; the elected representative began serving in the 110th United States Congress from January 3, 2007, with a term running to January 3, 2009.

Jill Derby had no opposition for the Democratic nomination.

On the Republican side, there was a "fiercely contested and often bruising" five-way race. The two major candidates other than Heller were state assemblywoman Sharron Angle and former state Representative Dawn Gibbons, wife of the outgoing incumbent. The Club for Growth poured in over $1 million backing Angle and ran ads attacking both Heller and Gibbons as being "liberal" and in favor of tax increases.

The official results were:

Republican Primary

After the primary, Angle refused to concede, complaining of voting irregularities that disenfranchised many voters in her popular home base of Washoe County, which includes Reno and is by far the district’s most populous and vote-rich jurisdiction. Rather than calling for a recount — the typical route for candidates who challenge close election outcomes — Angle demanded to have the entire primary invalidated and held again. CQPolitics.com noted "Some have charged Angle’s decision to call for a special primary was based on economics: Had she demanded a recount, Angle would have been responsible for the cost of the procedure unless the result vindicated her request for it. That would not be the case if the courts were to order a primary do-over."

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