Tarkanian Avoids Trump's Wrath. Exits Nevada Senate Race.
gvw_gv_wire
By gvwire
Published 7 years ago on
March 16, 2018

Share

Former local resident and assistant Fresno State basketball coach Danny Tarkanian announced Friday that he was abandoning his bid to challenge fellow Republican and incumbent U.S. Senator Dean Heller in Nevada.
Tarkanian’s decision came about one hour after President Donald Trump tweeted that it would be best if Tarkanian allowed the embattled Heller a free ride in the Republican primary.

Tarkanian’s Statement

The website Roll Call reported that Tarkanian released a statement about his decision to exit the Senate race and instead campaign for the House of Representatives in Nevada’s 3rd District.

Tarkanian, a firebrand conservative, said in the statement that Trump and his political team contacted him Wednesday. They asked him to “consider supporting the America First agenda as a Congressional candidate by running again in CD3, where I nearly won in 2016 in what was one of the most expensive and closest Congressional races in America,” Tarkanian said.
Tarkanian continued: “This was not something I ever considered. I am confident I would have won the U.S. Senate race and done a great job representing the people of Nevada in the Senate, but the president is adamant that a unified Republican ticket in Nevada is the best direction for the ‘America First’ movement.

“With President Trump’s full support and endorsement. I am filing to run again in CD3 with the firm belief that we will finish what we started in 2016 and win in 2018.”

Tarkanian Runs Several Times Without Success

Tarkanian is the son of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Tarkanian. He assisted his father at Fresno State.
Danny Tarkanian has waged several unsuccessful campaigns. He has previously run for the state Legislature, Nevada’s secretary of state and congressional seats. In most of those runs, Fresno’s Armenian community supported him with campaign contributions.

Tarkanian Tough on Heller

While he was in the Senate race, Tarkanian aligned himself with Trump and took repeated shots at Heller.


 U.S. Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada
One example: A story posted on his Senate campaign website headlined “BREAKING: Behind Closed Doors, Heller Stabs Trump in the Back.”
Wrote the Tarkanian campaign, “You just can’t trust Sen. Dean Heller. And if President Donald Trump wasn’t sure of that before, he certainly was reminded of it today.
“Ever since I got into the Republican primary race against “DC Dean” last summer, he’s been President Trump’s BFF (Best Friend Forever) in public.  But in a recent behind-closed-doors meeting, the audio of which was leaked to Politico and published today, Sen. Heller kneecapped the President several times.”
The Cook Political Report says this about the Senate race: “U.S. Sen. Dean Heller has the unfortunate distinction of occupying the most vulnerable of the 10 Republicans seats up this cycle. … The presumptive Democratic nominee is U.S. Rep. Jacky Rosen, who was elected to Congress in 2016, beating none other than Tarkanian.”
 

DON'T MISS

23 for ’23: A Year in Photos

DON'T MISS

See How this Fresno roastery sends aid to Northern Thailand.

DON'T MISS

District Says Fresno Teachers Contract Proposal Would Bankrupt Budget Reserves by Year 3

DON'T MISS

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

DON'T MISS

The Supreme Court Orders Makers of Gun Parts to Comply with Rules on Ghost Guns

DON'T MISS

George W. Bush for Speaker? A Democratic Lawmaker Thinks It’s Possible

DON'T MISS

Former Navy IT Manager Gets Five Years for Hacking, ID Theft

DON'T MISS

Gunman Kills Two Swedes in Brussels, Prompting Terror Alert and Halt of Belgium-Sweden Soccer Match

DON'T MISS

Zakaria: The Best Response to Hamas Would Be to Keep the Saudi Deal Alive

DON'T MISS

Groundbreaking Human Brain Atlas Offers New Hope for Treating Neurological Disorders

UP NEXT

Fresno’s Famous Gourmet Hot Dog Shop Sells

UP NEXT

District to Fresno Teachers: Read Our Proposal Before Taking Strike Vote

UP NEXT

State Department Memo Warns US Diplomats: No Gaza ‘De-Escalation’ Talk

UP NEXT

George W. Bush for Speaker? A Democratic Lawmaker Thinks It’s Possible

UP NEXT

Jim Jordan’s Rapid Rise Cheered by Trump and Far Right. Could It Make Him Speaker?

UP NEXT

What Does Destroying Gaza Solve?

UP NEXT

City of Fresno’s Israeli Flag Raising Draws Supporters and Protesters

UP NEXT

Former Fresno CC Coach Ed Madec Arrested for Allegedly Threatening to Kill Chancellor

UP NEXT

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

UP NEXT

The Supreme Court Orders Makers of Gun Parts to Comply with Rules on Ghost Guns

You May like

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

1 year ago

The Supreme Court Orders Makers of Gun Parts to Comply with Rules on Ghost Guns

1 year ago

George W. Bush for Speaker? A Democratic Lawmaker Thinks It’s Possible

1 year ago

Former Navy IT Manager Gets Five Years for Hacking, ID Theft

1 year ago

Gunman Kills Two Swedes in Brussels, Prompting Terror Alert and Halt of Belgium-Sweden Soccer Match

1 year ago

Zakaria: The Best Response to Hamas Would Be to Keep the Saudi Deal Alive

1 year ago

Groundbreaking Human Brain Atlas Offers New Hope for Treating Neurological Disorders

1 year ago

Newsom Signs Law to Slowly Raise Healthcare Minimum Wage to $25

1 year ago

Former Fresno CC Coach Ed Madec Arrested for Allegedly Threatening to Kill Chancellor

1 year ago

Jim Jordan’s Rapid Rise Cheered by Trump and Far Right. Could It Make Him Speaker?

1 year ago

HOT OFF THE PRESS

23 for ’23: A Year in Photos

1 year ago

1 year ago

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

1 year ago

The Supreme Court Orders Makers of Gun Parts to Comply with Rules on Ghost Guns

Photo of a hacker typing on a laptop

1 year ago

Former Navy IT Manager Gets Five Years for Hacking, ID Theft