Democratic congressional challenger Dina Titus has gained ground and taken a healthy lead in her matchup with Republican Jon Porter, according to a poll conducted by Titus' campaign.

Titus, a state senator hoping to unseat incumbent Rep. Porter in November, leads by 9 percentage points, 46 percent to 37 percent, in the poll of 500 likely voters conducted by telephone this week.

"I think this is a good sign that Dina Titus' campaign is picking up momentum and her message of change is resonating with voters," Titus spokesman Andrew Stoddard said. The poll by Anzalone Liszt Research carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Six percent of poll respondents chose a third-party candidate -- Independent American Floyd Fitzgibbons, Green Bob Giaquinta, independent Jeffrey Reeves or Libertarian Joseph Silvestri -- while 10 percent were undecided. A July poll conducted for Titus' campaign put her ahead 43 percent to 39 percent. Since then, Porter and Titus have won their primaries, and both have started airing TV ads. "After weeks of television communication from both sides ... Titus appears to be getting the better of the exchange," the pollster wrote in a memo with the survey. "Her personal popularity is stronger than Porter's, and the district is trending Democratic. She is in a strong position to win." A Porter spokesman disputed that notion, saying any poll taken now is preliminary.

"House races are won in October," Matt Leffingwell said. "As the economy continues to struggle, the prospect of having another tax-and-spend liberal in Washington voting with the Democrats will not sit well with Nevadans on Nov. 4."

Porter has always anticipated a tough race, Leffingwell said. "We're in this race to win it, and we're confident that our message will bring us across the finish line." The poll found Porter viewed favorably by 44 percent in the 3rd Congressional District, which includes mostly suburban and rural areas of Clark County; 41 percent viewed Porter unfavorably. Since July, Porter's favorable rating has dropped 4 points, while his unfavorable rating rose 7 points. Titus was viewed favorably by 50 percent, up 4 points from the July survey; 37 percent viewed her unfavorably. Nevertheless, a recent Porter poll by Glen Bolger put Porter ahead of Titus 41 percent to 39 percent, with 7 percent choosing third party candidates and 11 percent undecided. The poll of 400 likely voters carried a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points.

Porter's poll found the congressman was viewed favorably by 40 percent and unfavorably by 31 percent. Titus was viewed favorably by 36 percent and unfavorably by 39 percent. Pollster Jeff Liszt said most challengers face difficulty introducing themselves to voters familiar with the incumbent. Titus, who ran for governor in 2006, is different. Although she lost that race to Gov. Jim Gibbons, Titus got more votes in Southern Nevada.Meanwhile, Liszt noted, commercials attacking Titus aired by Porter and by Freedom's Watch, a conservative group, have largely centered on the idea that she is a tax-hiker, a familiar line from the gubernatorial campaign. Although a poll conducted by a campaign might seem suspect, he said pollsters give candidates a realistic idea of how they're doing.

University of Nevada, Reno, political scientist Eric Herzik said he's not surprised to see the results of the Titus poll. "This is not a good year to be running as a Republican, particularly in Southern Nevada, given the economy, the housing market, the job outlook. He's (Porter) been

in trouble from Day 1." Three factors are working against Porter, said Herzik, a registered Republican. First, Democrats had huge numbers of voters sign up. The 3rd District now has more than 29,000 more Democrats than Republicans registered, according to the Clark County Election Department. Second, he said, Democrats have a base that is well organized and engaged this year, while Republicans do not. Plus, Titus is a strong candidate. In the past, Herzik said, Porter faced neophyte candidates who could be counted on to "crumble." "Dina is an experienced candidate who has run well in that area. A lot of Republicans are going to find this year that the same old message isn't going to work."

Titus grew up in the small community of Tifton, Georgia, where her Greek grandfather ran a restaurant. There was no Greek school or church, however, and the family had to drive 125 miles away to Jacksonville, Florida, to get feta and olives.

Titus learned from a close-knit family the value of community involvement and was introduced to politics at an early age. On the Titus side, her uncle served in the Georgia Legislature as a Republican and her father ran for a seat on the Tifton City Council. He went on to serve as the Head of the Building and Safety Departments for both Tifton and Henderson, NV. Additionally, the “coffee table” in her Papu’s downtown restaurant was always occupied by local politicos arguing about current issues.

Titus’ high school years included cheerleading and tap dancing, in addition to her studies. A dedicated student, Titus attended a summer program at the historic College of William and Mary and did so well that she was admitted full time for the fall - without a high school diploma. Attending school in the heartland of American democracy during the height of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War inspired Titus to study Political Science and engage others in the critical issues of a changing world.

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 Doctorate from Florida State University.

She taught for a year at North Texas State University in Denton and then moved to Nevada to accept a faculty position at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Over the past 30 years, a virtual who’s-who in government, public service, and legal circles has studied with Professor Titus, whose classes consistently rank among the most popular offerings on the campus.

In 1987, Titus decided to put theory into practice and run for elected office. Her 20 years in the State Senate have brought the richness of first-hand experience to her classroom. Titus also 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 in Carson City.

Titus has been married to Professor Thomas C. Wright for over 28 years. Wright’s studies in his field of expertise - Latin American History - have taken the couple on extended journeys to Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina, Mexico and Spain. Tom received the prestigious UNLV Distinguished Professor award in 2008. John Wright Hall on campus is named for his father, a Civil War historian and early pioneer at UNLV.

Dina and Tom share a love of travel, global culture and folklore – and include among their favorite destinations Spain and France. She has visited Taiwan and Siberia as a legislative liaison.

And as a scholar and legislator, Titus has particularly enjoyed visits to Greece – the birthplace of democracy as well as the source of her personal lineage as a Greek-American. Her grandfather, Arthur Costandinos Cathones, after whom she is named, came to America in 1911, landing at Ellis Island. Titus honored the life and memory of her grandfather by purchasing a brick with his name on it at the restored Ellis Island. Fully embracing her Hellenic heritage, she has visited Athens, Meteora, Delphi, and many of the beautiful islands, gaining a deeper understanding of the country’s regions, ruins, museums, and cuisine. As a proud Greek, Titus has spoken out in favor of Hellenism in the classroom and in the Nevada legislature where she has sponsored resolutions honoring the consecration of the new Greek church in Las Vegas and recognizing that Macedonia is Greek. She is committed to reunifying Cyprus, protecting the ecumenical patriarchate in Constantinople and maintaining the Greek sanctity of the name and symbols of Macedonia. Titus attends the St. John the Baptist Church in Las Vegas and keeps in close touch with her fellow members of the Greek community.

Titus’ travels have not only brought unforgettable personal experiences, but have also informed her research and teaching with the perspective of numerous cultural viewpoints and political systems.

A noted non-fiction writer, Dina is the author of Bombs in the Backyard: Atomic Testing and American Politics (University of Nevada Press, Revised Edition 2001) and Battle Born: Federal-State Relations in Nevada During the Twentieth Century (Kendall-Hunt, 1989). She has also published numerous scholarly articles on American, Nevada, and atomic politics.

Titus is internationally known for her expertise in the history and policies related to nuclear power, weaponry, and waste – as well as her knowledge of the popular lore of “Atomic culture.” This unique area of study extends to a wide-ranging personal collection of atomic memorabilia. She appeared in the 2006 PBS documentary, The American Experience: Las Vegas – an Unconventional History by acclaimed director Steven Ives, and is a favorite source on all things nuclear for the media. She was honored to give a guest lecture to the Los Alamos Historical Society and present an academic paper at the International War and Peace Conference at Sokendai University in Tokyo.

Today, the Atomic Testing Museum on the Las Vegas campus of the Desert Research Institute features the Dina Titus Reading Room in recognition of her scholarly achievement in the field.

With reporting by MOLLY BALL
LAS VEVAS REVIEW-JOURNAL