Sue Lowden files for U.S. Senate seat to battle Harry Reid

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Sue Lowden formally filed for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate today, vowing that if elected she intends to cut taxes to create more jobs.

Lowden, 58, also questioned if Nevada is getting its fair share of federal money back with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid representing the state.

"If we give a dollar to Washington, we're getting 65 cents back with Harry Reid. So I would ask you if that is our fair share," she said at a news conference. She questioned whether some of that money being returned to Nevada is "pork."

There are three freshman senators - from Alaska, Idaho and North Carolina - "who dollar-for-dollar are bringing more money in their states than Harry Reid is."

"So what influence are we talking about?" she said, referring to Reid's position as majority leader.

Jobs are the most important issue now, she said. "I intend to go in and start cutting taxes, cutting the payroll tax, cutting the corporate tax, capital gains would be zero in my world."

"A big different between me and Harry Reid is that I would make the death tax exemption permanent," she said. "And you will see it come back next year if he is your United States senator."

Reid's team said the senator brings home more federal money for Nevada than any other lawmaker and doubts Lowden could do any better.

"It's highly disingenuous because she's running a campaign saying she won't fight to bring home any federal money - she says no earmarks," said Reid spokesman Jon Summers.

"Senator Reid brings home more for Nevada than the rest of the federal delegation combined," he said.

Lowden's campaign warchest for the Republican primary on June 8 is $2.5 million.

Asked what she accomplished in her one term in the Nevada Senate, she said the state-run workers compensation system was bankrupt in 1993. "We changed it into a privatized system." It gave companies an option to buy different sorts of workers compensation including going self insured, Lowden said.

Businesses in part are attracted today to Nevada because of the workers compensation system that is still mainly in effect, Lowden said.