U.S. Congress district 2

Jill Derby

Age: 66

Hometown: Born in California, started life on the Flying Flapjack Ranch in Lovelock

Occupation: Educator

Family: Husband, Steve; son Ryan; daughter Tobyn

Political background: Democrat, served three terms on the nonpartisan Nevada Board of Regents

What is your position on the administration's handling of the war on terror?

We have a failed policy from Washington, and it's one of the reasons I am running for Congress. I supported the War in Afghanistan to go after the Taliban who harbored terrorists who attacked us on 9/11. But rather than finish what we started in Afghanistan and invest in the intelligence needed to track and eliminate loosely based terror cells around the globe, our leaders chose to invade Iraq on shaky evidence and with no plan for what to do after Baghdad fell. Today, Baghdad is a hotbed of violence and terrorism despite the best efforts of our soldiers and the high price our country has paid both in lives and in dollars. Former military commanders and national intelligence reports confirm this.

We have successfully gone after those who fund terrorism and increased cooperation among countries - as evidenced by the thwarted London terror plot. But we can and we must do more. We need a clear plan to stabilize Iraq and bring our troops home. We need to invest in intelligence resources to track and eliminate terror cells. The War on Terror should not be a political football. There is too much at stake.

The national debt has risen to record levels in the past six years and is still climbing. How do you propose getting the budget deficits under control and bringing the debt down again? Or is that important?

It's not just important, it's critical. A spiraling national debt is a national security issue when you have countries like China and Saudi Arabia holding the credit cards. We've got to start by getting the federal budget back under control. American families must make their family budgets balance and Congress should do no less. We must look at our priorities as a nation and craft a budget to live within our means.

Reigning in the budget deficit requires setting priorities and sticking to them. We must invest in the military, veterans services and in homeland security to keep America safe. We must invest in education to ensure our children can compete. That means looking at other places to save. First, I support rolling back the $14 billion tax break for Big Oil approved earlier this year. That $14 billion could go a long way to equipping our servicemen and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan or to offering low-interest loans for college students. Our priorities are out of whack when we are giving tax breaks to corporations and wealthy individuals while cutting student loan programs by more than $12 billion.

What sets you apart from your opponent?

The voters have a clear choice in this election. A vote for my opponent is a vote for more of the same in Washington, D.C. He has pledged his support to his party and says that he aligns himself with the current leadership on a host of issues.

He supports privatizing Social Security and putting people's benefits at risk in the stock market while I support protecting a program that has worked for American seniors for more than 60 years. He supports the current approach to the war in Iraq while I say we need to move into a year of transition and outline a plan with benchmarks so that we see progress toward our goal of bringing our troops home. He supports the complete repeal of the estate tax while I support reforming it to protect family businesses, farms and ranches.

My values are right off the ranch, where people talk straight, look you in the eye, and mean what they say. And that's what I will bring to Washington. If you like how things are going, then I'm not your candidate. But if you want to see change in Congress, then I would appreciate your vote.

Contact information:

Telehone: (775) 783-1416

E-mail: info@jillderby.com

Dean Heller

Age: 47

Hometown: Carson City

Occupation: Secretary of State

Family: Wife Lynne; children Hillary, Harris, Drew, and Emmy

Political background: Republican, served Carson City in the State Assembly 1990-1994; Secretary of State 1994-present.

What is your position on the administration's handling of the war on terror?

We must support our troops as they defend our freedom and protect our nation from terrorism. Moreover, we must strengthen our borders from unlawful entry to ensure our safety. I believe we must fight the terrorists where they live or we will be fighting that battle here at home.

The national debt has risen to record levels in the past six years and is still climbing. How do you propose getting the budget deficits under control and bringing the debt down again? Or is that important?

Getting control of the national debt is critical for our country. As Secretary of State, I have improved the efficiency the office by 250 percent while increasing revenues at the same time. As a member of the State Assembly I have voted against higher taxes and bloated spending bills. I will provide leadership to help regain control of spending and wipe out the federal deficit.

What sets you apart from your opponent?

I believe that lower taxes; less regulation; competition; and meaningful tort reform are necessary to make the U.S. competitive in the global market. Additionally, Congress is in need of leadership. I believe that my accomplishments as Secretary of State have proven that I can make the tough decisions to take control of federal spending and set a course to a balanced budget and look after the best interests of the great State of Nevada.

Contact information:

Telephone: (775) 324-1618

Web site: www.deanheller.com