Review-Journal endorsement: Nevada’s 1st Congressional District

Voters in Nevada’s 1st Congressional District face a couple of familiar choices in November. Democratic Rep. Dina Titus faces Republican challenger Mark Robertson, a rematch of the 2022 election in which the incumbent prevailed by 5.5 points.

Rep. Titus has been a fixture in Nevada politics for three decades. A former state legislator, she has represented the district since 2012. Mr. Robertson is a 30-year Army veteran and a former national defense adviser who also created a financial planning business.

There are contrasts between the two. Mr. Robertson embraces traditional GOP values such as lower taxes and smaller government. Rep. Titus leans left and has great faith in Washington to solve the problems that confront Americans.

On taxes, Mr. Robertson supports the Trump tax cuts and argues, “Allowing Americans to keep more of their money helps families and helps the country.” Ms. Titus voted against the tax bill in 2017 and expects a fight in Congress next year when the measure expires.

When it comes to housing, Rep. Titus said she opposes rent control but favors going after corporate investors who she believes distort the market for profit. Both candidates argue the federal government should release public land to spur more development in Clark County.

Rep. Titus claims Mr. Robertson will support cuts to Social Security and Medicare. But she offers little in the way of addressing the fiscal emergency confronting entitlements. Mr. Robertson denies he wants cuts and says instead that he would like a bipartisan panel convened to seek solutions for the long-term solvency of these programs.

Rep. Titus voted for the massive White House spending bills that triggered inflation. She deflects criticism by blaming “price-gouging” corporations making “too-high profits.” Mr. Robertson believes we “have to get government spending under control” — including defense outlays — to smooth the economy.

Mr. Robertson believes abortion should be left up to the states and insists, “I won’t do anything to overturn the will of the people in Nevada.” Rep. Titus favors few limits on the procedure.

Rep. Titus vows to continue “doing things for Nevada” and says that, if re-elected, she’ll focus on housing and transportation issues, including pushing along the Las Vegas to Southern California rail project. She emphasizes her role in creating the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Southern Nevada.

Mr. Robertson says the district needs a new voice. Rep. Titus “has been a part of the problem for nearly her entire political life. She’s not going to turn around and become part of the solution.”

Voters have no bad choice here. But we believe Washington would benefit from more emphasis on fiscal sanity and paring back the administrative state. We urge a vote for Mark Robertson.