Sue Lowden is a former Nevada Republican Party Chairman and candidate for the U.S. Senate seat representing Nevada. She has been cited as a serious contender to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Polls indicate that if an election were held today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid would lose his long-time Senate seat to one of two Nevada Republicans. Sue Lowden is leading in the polls with 23 percent of Republicans preferring her as their candidate. She was the Nevada Republican Party Chairman until the end of September. She gave up her position to pursue the possibility of making a run for the Senate against Reid.
Polls in Nevada are split between three Republican candidates; Lowden, real estate developer Danny Tarkanian with 21 percent and Former assemblywoman Sharron Angle with 9 percent. What they aren’t split about is that they are tired of Harry Reid. In polls of registered voters, both Lowden and Tarkanian beat Reid for the Senate seat he has held for four six-year terms.
As you can hear in the video interview below, Lowden states Harry Reid doesn’t represent Nevadans anymore. He has become a Washington insider and moved much too far to the left to be effective in representing the people of his state. On the other hand, Lowden is credited with re-invigorating the Republican party in Nevada during her tenure as the GOP Chairman.
Interestingly, the democratic machine has started attacking Lowden in much the same way attacks have been made on any attractive Republican or Conservative woman who dares to be a serious contender for national office. Much of it consists of demeaning sexual innuendos. It seems that the party that claims to be all-inclusive and pro-feminist is not held accountable for blatant sexism when it suits their own purposes. But like most women in that position, she is holding her own and doesn’t appear to be phased by the attacks.
So who is Sue Lowden? As a brief biography, Lowden was born and raised in New Jersey, but has lived in Nevada for over 30 years. She is 57-years-old. She earned a BA degree from the American University in Washington, D.C. (Magna Cum Laude) and an MA degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford, New Jersey (Cum Laude). She also holds an Honorary AA degree from the Community College of Southern Nevada.
Lowden is a former Miss New Jersey and was 2nd runner-up for Miss America in 1973. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Miss America Organization. She toured with the USO and the Bob Hope Christmas troupe to Vietnam as well as American military bases throughout the world.
She is known for her philanthropy through a number of organizations including the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Nevada Child Seekers and the Southern Nevada Ice Hockey League. She has received many honors and awards for her charitable work through a wide variety of organizations.
She started her career in journalism, spending ten years as a reporter and anchorwoman for KLAS-TV Channel 8. She first ran for political office in her highly democratic district in 1992, serving as a Nevada State Senator from 1992 to 1996.
She is married to Nevada businessman Paul Lowden. They have been married for 26-years. At one time, the couple owned the Sahara hotel-casino. She continues to serve as Executive Vice President of the gaming company Archon Corporation. The Lowdens live in Las Vegas and have four children: Christopher, Jennifer, Paul IV and William (1986-2004) and one granddaughter, Vanessa.
Sue Lowden - Photos
Sue Lowden Interview - Video
October 12th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Lowden report card: F for failed leadership
Gov. Gibbons handpicked Sue Lowden to chair the Nevada Republican Party, touting her leadership as the key to turning the party around. Now that she’s resigning more than two years later, what do the Republicans have to show for it? The Nevada GOP is broke and disorganized.
Party Building: F
When Gibbons handpicked Lowden to head the Nevada GOP in April 2007, voter registration was dead even between Republicans and Democrats. One year later, Republicans were down 57,000 voters. By election day 2008, the Democratic lead had grown to more than 100,000 voters, including an advantage in traditionally Republican Washoe County.
In a year and a half, Lowden took the GOP from an even playing field to a more than 8 point voter registration disadvantage. And today voters continue to run from the Republican Party, with Democrats registering four voters for every one the Republicans register.
Organization: F
When Lowden took over as chairwoman, the party had an office and permanent staff. As Lowden resigns as chairwoman, the party has neither. One national political writer who swung through town found that there was no answer at Clark County GOP headquarters, where the state party is currently squatting, and messages go unreturned.
Lowden even lost control of her own state convention after Ron Paul supporters accused her of taking the process out of their hands and trying to railroad her handpicked national delegates through. The dispute created a schism in the party that continues to this day. When her job was to unite, she divided, leaving a fractured and broken party structure.
2008 Election: F
When Sue Lowden took over as chairwoman, Republicans controlled the state senate and had two Clark County Commissioners and a three-term incumbent in Congressional District 3. And Nevada had voted for Bush for two terms.
“As a party we have a lot to do in preparation for the important 2008 election cycle,” Lowden said when Gibbons anointed her. “I pledge to roll up my sleeves and get right to work so we can elect good Republican candidates up and down the ticket.”
But on election night 2008, Democrats took control of the State Senate for the first time in almost two decades, gained a supermajority in the State Assembly, took control of all seven Clark County Commission seats, defeated Jon Porter and took control of Congressional District 3 for the first time since its inception and delivered Nevada’s electoral votes for Pres. Barack Obama by an historic margin of 12 percentage points.
Sue Lowden took the podium at a morose “victory” party in Las Vegas. She called the year ahead, “a rebuilding year.” But Lowden isn’t sticking around to take on the rebuilding.
nvdems dot com
October 12th, 2009 at 6:20 am
I don’t see anything wrong with her.
October 12th, 2009 at 10:17 am
It’s an uphill battle, I don’t care what the polls say. In Nevada, never underestimate the power of the Reid machine. He’ll have WAY MORE MONEY than the Republican candidates, and the attacks will begin soon.
October 12th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Yeah maybe, but ask Tom Daschle how hard it is for an incumbent to win re-election with a 50% unfavorable rating. It almost never happens. Also, pretty much all the Mormons are done with this guy. They used to vote for him (even as recently as 6 years ago) because he used to have a reputation as a conservative Democrat, but that’s all gone since he became the Majority Leader. How do you win if one of the largest voting blocs in the state go against you by at least 2-1? I think he’s toast personally, but you’re plugged into that scene more then I am.
October 12th, 2009 at 10:58 am
The attacks have already started, on a small scale anyway. Some of the websites/blogs are making really crude remarks about her - the way they do Conservative women who dare to have a brain and political ambitions.
Bryan - that’s the same thing I read over and over about him, that he had lost touch with Nevadans and had been Libertarian but had moved to the far left.
October 12th, 2009 at 11:25 am
All wishful thinking I’m afraid. Plus, the poll numbers I have seen have pretty big margin of error. Not saying he is struggling, but Republican Governor Gibbons has almost single digit approval rating (and he appointed Sue Lowden to party chair). Part of the problem, and probably a strong indicator of the actual situation, is that none of the strong candidates want to run against him.
Brian Sandoval has decided to challenge the incumbent Republican governor rather than take on Reid. Sandoval is a real smart guy, and seen by most to be the best Republican candidate in all of Nevada. But he doesn’t want to get back into politics just to lose, so he is not taking on Reid.
Both Jon Porter and Dean Heller are to weak kneed about it to. But who can blame them.
Danny Tarkanian has already lost two elections, and Lowden is not real popular outside rank and file Republicans. Neither are viewed as real strong candidates.
But you never know folks, I’ll be watching closely.
October 12th, 2009 at 11:27 am
I have no idea if she would be very good, but she certainly would be the most attractive senator.
October 12th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
I know your skeptical, but look at this polls http://www.lvrj.com/news/two-could-beat-reid-poll-finds-63955312.html and tell me how Reid wins? I’ve never heard of an incumbent winning with those kinds of numbers. If half of the state just doesn’t like you that doesn’t give you a lot of wiggle room, Reid would have to essentially get every single Democrat to show up and vote, and on an off election year that is going to be hard. Remember, he won’t have Obama to help drive voters out.
Yes, it would be nice if the Republicans had a couple of better nominees, but at this point it may not matter, heck Sen. Ensign could probably beat Reid.
Justin, if those unfavorables hold up and Reid still wins, I’ll buy you lunch at any restaurant you want when we’re in Vegas next, it’s just impossible.
October 12th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Actually, I was frisking those numbers from the poll a little further. Dude, Reid is tied with both Lowden and Tarkanian in Clark County!?! He’s going to get crushed if it’s anywhere near that. In fact, if Reid doesn’t win Clark County 60-40 he loses the election by 5 points, I’m calling that right now.
October 12th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
I think you’re right Bryan, the bell is beginning to toll for the democrats. If Reid goes down and the dems lose the Va. and NJ gubernatorial races their house of cards may well come down. The republicans have to wise up also and that may be a stretch.
October 12th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
she looks good to me
October 12th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
yeah, timv, next to mary bono, she may be the winner in the congress.
October 12th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Mary Bono is a Bonehead who voted for Cap and Trade. If you want a hot congress critter Michelle Bachman is a pretty good MILF.
October 12th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Yeah, bryan, you may be right, but for the purposes of this election, all that is relevant is how hot the politician is.
Besides, bachman loses points because of her voice.
October 12th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Reid going down would be icing on the cake
October 12th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
arriba, i have never seen mary bono.
October 13th, 2009 at 6:34 am
The first time I saw mary bono was at a st joseph’s day parade in nola. Her, sonny, and livingston were in the parade. Now I think she is married to connie mack.
October 13th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
So, give me an example of these “demeaning sexual innuendos” the “democratic machine” has been leveling at this woman. Please, one example.
Bet you can’t.
To your credit Beth you did not say much bad about Reid. That’s good. That you didn’t say anything too bad. About Reid. He’s pretty cool, actually. He stood up to the mob.
October 20th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I attepted to make a donation through your website on Google, but kept getting an error message despite having submitted correct information. Do you have anothere site?
R F Fox
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:42 pm
There has been a recent development that will affect Sue Lowden’s chances to win the Republican primary. She halted the state convention in April of 2008 because she knew that the election was not turning out the way she wanted. The election at the convention was stopped so abruptly, in the middle of counting the votes, that a ballot box was not counted and was instead sealed in the hotel safe - until just two days ago. It was counted on October 30 and the winners were three people who were prevented from going to the convention by the abrupt halt of the convention and election. Looks a lot like a stolen election to me.