Sharron Angle, the former Nevada state representative and unsuccessful 2010 Republican Senate nominee, is committing to run for Nevada’s open (and soon to be vacant) House seat as a Republican — after some speculation that she might launch an independent bid if the party leaders did not select her for the special election.
At the same time, the Las Vegas Review Journal reports, Angle pledged to continue running in the Republican primary for the 2012 cycle, and she criticized the fact that party leaders, rather than voters, could end up picking the candidate — a pretty clear hint that she could potentially challenge any Republican who does get elected, if she were passed over.
“I look forward to running in a legitimate campaign cycle where all registered voters are able to participate in both a primary and general election,” Angle said in a statement released on Tuesday. “A special election free-for-all, or a situation where party insiders nominate a candidate, does disservice to our representative democracy.”
On Wednesday, Rep. Dean Heller (R) was officially announced as the new appointee to the Senate after the resignation of Sen. John Ensign. Heller had already been running for the seat, following Ensign’s earlier announcement that he would not run in 2012, which led Angle to declare her candidacy in her home House district that she had carried in the 2010 Senate race.
