Sue Lowden
Encyclopedia
Suzanne Parkinson "Sue" Pluskoski Lowden (born February 8, 1952) is the former Chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party
and a former State Senator in Nevada. Lowden is a former businesswoman, television news anchor and kindergarten teacher. Lowden was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2010 United States Senate election in Nevada
.
A native of New Jersey
, Lowden is a graduate of American University
and Fairleigh Dickinson University
. She served as a State Senator for Nevada from 1993 to 1997. During her four years in the state legislature, she held the senior leadership position of majority whip.
, Lowden graduated in 1970 from Gloucester Catholic High School
. At age 16, she became Miss National Park, New Jersey
. She accumulated other local and regional titles, including Miss Gloucester County
, Miss Cape May County
, Miss New Jersey Apple Princess, and Miss Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey
at age 19 in 1971. Lowden was Miss District of Columbia USA
in 1971, and a semi-finalist at Miss USA
. Changing her name to Suzanne Plummer, in 1973, she was Miss New Jersey
on her second try, and was 2nd runner-up for Miss America
having won the swimsuit portion.
After a six-week USO tour, she completed a BA in education from American University
in Washington, D.C, an MA in elementary education from Fairleigh Dickinson University
in Rutherford, New Jersey
, and was later granted an Honorary AA from then Community College of Southern Nevada
. While finishing her degree, Lowden worked two years as a kindergarten teacher in Edgewater, New Jersey
. Then, she moved to Los Angeles, California
. Sending job applications to TV stations across the country, in 1978 she landed a job with KLAS-TV
in Las Vegas, the local CBS affiliate for southern Nevada. She earned numerous awards for her work as a reporter and anchorwoman, such as the Associated Press
and United Press International
Award for Best Newscast. She became a member of the KLAS Channel 8 Hall of Fame. She left KLAS in 1987.
Lowden became an Executive Vice President of Sahara Hotel and Casino, then President of Santa Fe Station
. Having a Nevada gaming license
, she currently serves as a Member of the Board of Directors and Secretary-Treasurer of Archon Corporation
, a gaming and investment company. For her work, Lowden received a Women of Achievement Award from the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. According to statements filed with the Senate Office of Public Records, she and her husband have more than $50 million in stock holdings, much of it in Las Vegas gaming companies.
in Clark County District 3 (map), that usually elects members of the Democratic Party
. She defeated longtime incumbent Jack Vergiels, who was then serving as the Nevada Senate Majority Leader
.
In the Nevada Legislature
, Lowden served as the Senate Majority Whip
and the Chairman of the Senate Taxation Committee. Her work in office earned her the Guardian of Small Business Award from the Nevada chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business
(NFIB), Senator of the Year Award from the Clark County Republican Party, the Woman of the Year Award from the Republican Women of Las Vegas, and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 from the Republican Women of Henderson.
The Culinary Workers Union
representing hotel workers, then the most powerful labor force in Las Vegas, has criticized her for her votes to reform the State Industrial Insurance System and because her casino fought efforts by workers to organize there. She said the union harassed her by picketing her home and threatened her to the point where she had to transfer her children to another school.
In 1996, she lost a re-election bid to Democrat Valerie Wiener
, while most other incumbents held their seats.
In 2007 she became Chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party
and held that position until 2009.
and former State Assemblywoman Sharron Angle
. Had Lowden won the republican primary, she would have run against U.S. Senator Harry Reid
, the Senate Majority Leader.
She earned endorsements from Rush Limbaugh
, Sean Hannity
,
Jeri Thompson, the Susan B. Anthony List
, and former Nevada Governor Robert List
.
Politico
named Lowden's campaign one of "the worst" of 2010 stating "if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
wins reellection in Nevada, it will likely be thanks to those 14 words spoken by Republican challenger Sue Lowden", referring to Lowden's statement regarding "bringing a chicken to a doctor." Politico also cited controversy over Lowden's use of a campaign supporter's RV, and "an inept response to a question about the Civil Rights Act
" as reasons.
Tarkanian was her closest primary opponent in two surveys conducted as of April 2010,
but polling after Lowden's infamous suggestion that people use the barter system to lower their health care costs showed Angle moving to first place. In general election polling, she once held the largest lead against Reid in aggregate polling conducted as of April 2010.
But later May polls showed Lowden losing to Harry Reid by 5 percentage points (42-37). In primary election polling, Lowden held an even greater lead of 18 points over her closest primary opponent in two independent surveys conducted April 2010. Her numbers then declined by more than 20 points.
Using data from a poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc.
. the Las Vegas Review-Journal on May 28, 2010 stated that "Republican Sue Lowden has the best chance of defeating U.S. Sen. Harry Reid". The poll predicted that Lowden would win 42 percent of the vote over Reid's 39 percent with a margin of error "plus or minus 4 percentage points."
Sharron Angle
went on to defeat Lowden by a margin of 13.98%.
casinos. They later built the Santa Fe Station
casino and remain majority owners of the Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall
. He had a boy and girl, and together they had two sons (her youngest died at 17), and have one granddaughter. She and her husband reside in Las Vegas
.
.
|-
Nevada Republican Party
The Nevada Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Nevada. The Republican Party promotes the beliefs that individuals, not the government, make the best decisions. -History:...
and a former State Senator in Nevada. Lowden is a former businesswoman, television news anchor and kindergarten teacher. Lowden was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2010 United States Senate election in Nevada
United States Senate election in Nevada, 2010
-Tarkanian:-Angle:-Polling:Includes current candidates who have polled at least 2% in at least one poll.-Results:-Candidates:*Harry Reid , incumbent U.S...
.
A native of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Lowden is a graduate of American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
and Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:...
. She served as a State Senator for Nevada from 1993 to 1997. During her four years in the state legislature, she held the senior leadership position of majority whip.
Early life and career
Born Suzanne Parkinson Pluskoski, and raised in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Lowden graduated in 1970 from Gloucester Catholic High School
Gloucester Catholic High School
Gloucester Catholic High School is a co-educational four-year Roman Catholic high school located in Gloucester City, New Jersey, United States. The school operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden...
. At age 16, she became Miss National Park, New Jersey
National Park, New Jersey
National Park is a Borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, there were 3,205 residents. Despite its name, National Park is neither a national park nor associated with one.-History:...
. She accumulated other local and regional titles, including Miss Gloucester County
Gloucester County, New Jersey
Gloucester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 288,288. Its county seat is Woodbury....
, Miss Cape May County
Cape May County, New Jersey
-Climate:Being the southernmost point in New Jersey, Cape May has fairly mild wintertime temperatures. Contrary to that, the summertime has lower temperatures than most places in the state, making the county a popular place to escape the heat. It is in zone 7a/7b, which is the same as parts of...
, Miss New Jersey Apple Princess, and Miss Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
at age 19 in 1971. Lowden was Miss District of Columbia USA
Miss District of Columbia USA
The Miss District of Columbia USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the District of Columbia in the Miss USA pageant....
in 1971, and a semi-finalist at Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
. Changing her name to Suzanne Plummer, in 1973, she was Miss New Jersey
Miss New Jersey
.The Miss New Jersey competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of New Jersey in the Miss America pageant.Two Miss New Jersey winners have gone on to become Miss America titleholders: Bette Cooper and Suzette Charles...
on her second try, and was 2nd runner-up for Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
having won the swimsuit portion.
After a six-week USO tour, she completed a BA in education from American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington, D.C, an MA in elementary education from Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:...
in Rutherford, New Jersey
Rutherford, New Jersey
Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 18,061. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
, and was later granted an Honorary AA from then Community College of Southern Nevada
Community College of Southern Nevada
The College of Southern Nevada is primarily a two-year college in Clark County, Nevada, with one four-year degree in Dental Hygiene. The school is the largest public higher education institution in Nevada and the third largest of its kind in the nation...
. While finishing her degree, Lowden worked two years as a kindergarten teacher in Edgewater, New Jersey
Edgewater, New Jersey
Edgewater is a borough located along the Hudson River in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 census, the borough had a population of 11,513...
. Then, she moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Sending job applications to TV stations across the country, in 1978 she landed a job with KLAS-TV
KLAS-TV
KLAS-TV, virtual channel 8 , is the CBS-affiliated television station serving the Las Vegas, Nevada market; it is owned and operated by Landmark Media Enterprises...
in Las Vegas, the local CBS affiliate for southern Nevada. She earned numerous awards for her work as a reporter and anchorwoman, such as the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
Award for Best Newscast. She became a member of the KLAS Channel 8 Hall of Fame. She left KLAS in 1987.
Lowden became an Executive Vice President of Sahara Hotel and Casino, then President of Santa Fe Station
Santa Fe Station
Santa Fe Station is a locals casino located on Rancho Drive in Las Vegas, Nevada. The casino is owned by Station Casinos and is located on of land.-History:...
. Having a Nevada gaming license
Nevada Gaming Commission
The Nevada Gaming Commission is a Nevada state governmental agency involved in the regulation of casinos throughout the state, along with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. It was founded in 1959 by the Nevada Legislature....
, she currently serves as a Member of the Board of Directors and Secretary-Treasurer of Archon Corporation
Archon Corporation
Archon Corporation is an entertainment company based in Paradise, Nevada. The company has owned casinos and water parks. Members of board of directors include State Senator Sue Lowden who was chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party and State Senator Bill Raggio...
, a gaming and investment company. For her work, Lowden received a Women of Achievement Award from the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. According to statements filed with the Senate Office of Public Records, she and her husband have more than $50 million in stock holdings, much of it in Las Vegas gaming companies.
State Senate career
In 1992, Lowden ran for the Nevada State SenateNevada Senate
The Nevada Senate is the upper house of the Nevada Legislature, the state legislature of U.S. state of Nevada. The Senate consists of 21 members from 19 districts, two of which are multimember. Each senator represented approximately 94,700 people as of the 2000 census, although 2006 Census Bureau...
in Clark County District 3 (map), that usually elects members of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. She defeated longtime incumbent Jack Vergiels, who was then serving as the Nevada Senate Majority Leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
.
In the Nevada Legislature
Nevada Legislature
The Nevada Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Legislature is a bicameral body, consisting of the lower house Nevada Assembly, with 42 members, and the upper house Nevada Senate, with 21 members. All 63 members of the Legislature are elected from an equal amount of...
, Lowden served as the Senate Majority Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
and the Chairman of the Senate Taxation Committee. Her work in office earned her the Guardian of Small Business Award from the Nevada chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business
National Federation of Independent Business
The National Federation of Independent Business is a lobbying organization with its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee and offices in Washington, D.C. USA, and in all 50 state capitals...
(NFIB), Senator of the Year Award from the Clark County Republican Party, the Woman of the Year Award from the Republican Women of Las Vegas, and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 from the Republican Women of Henderson.
The Culinary Workers Union
Culinary Workers Union
Culinary Workers Union or UNITE HERE local 226 is a private sector local union in Nevada, USA, affiliated with UNITE HERE, a national labor union. With 60,000 members, the Culinary Workers Union represents more members than any other union in Nevada, is the largest union local in a right-to-work...
representing hotel workers, then the most powerful labor force in Las Vegas, has criticized her for her votes to reform the State Industrial Insurance System and because her casino fought efforts by workers to organize there. She said the union harassed her by picketing her home and threatened her to the point where she had to transfer her children to another school.
In 1996, she lost a re-election bid to Democrat Valerie Wiener
Valerie Wiener
Valerie Wiener is a Democratic member of the Nevada Senate, representing Clark County District 3 since 1996.-External links:* official government website* profile*Follow the Money - Valerie Wiener** campaign contributions...
, while most other incumbents held their seats.
In 2007 she became Chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party
Nevada Republican Party
The Nevada Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Nevada. The Republican Party promotes the beliefs that individuals, not the government, make the best decisions. -History:...
and held that position until 2009.
2010 U.S. Senate run
On October 1, 2009, Lowden announced her bid for the republican nomination for US Senate. Her main opponents in the Republican primary were businessman Danny TarkanianDanny Tarkanian
Daniel John "Danny" Tarkanian is an American real estate and small business owner. In 2004, Tarkanian ran for the Nevada Senate and lost the general election. In 2006, he won the Republican nomination for Nevada Secretary of State, but lost in the general election. In 2010 he was a Republican...
and former State Assemblywoman Sharron Angle
Sharron Angle
Sharron Elaine Angle is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Nevada Assembly from 1999 to 2007. She ran unsuccessfully as the 2010 Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in Nevada, garnering 45 percent of the vote...
. Had Lowden won the republican primary, she would have run against U.S. Senator Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
, the Senate Majority Leader.
She earned endorsements from Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
, Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
,
Jeri Thompson, the Susan B. Anthony List
Susan B. Anthony List
The Susan B. Anthony List, or simply SBA List, is a 501 non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to eliminate abortion in the U.S. by supporting pro-life politicians, primarily women, through its SBA List Candidate Fund political action committee...
, and former Nevada Governor Robert List
Robert List
Robert Frank "Bob" List is an American politician. He served as the 24th Governor of Nevada from 1979 to 1983. He was raised in Exeter, California. He served as the Carson City District Attorney and the Nevada Attorney General before becoming Governor. Currently List practices law in Las Vegas...
.
Politico
Politico (newspaper)
The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
named Lowden's campaign one of "the worst" of 2010 stating "if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
wins reellection in Nevada, it will likely be thanks to those 14 words spoken by Republican challenger Sue Lowden", referring to Lowden's statement regarding "bringing a chicken to a doctor." Politico also cited controversy over Lowden's use of a campaign supporter's RV, and "an inept response to a question about the Civil Rights Act
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...
" as reasons.
Tarkanian was her closest primary opponent in two surveys conducted as of April 2010,
but polling after Lowden's infamous suggestion that people use the barter system to lower their health care costs showed Angle moving to first place. In general election polling, she once held the largest lead against Reid in aggregate polling conducted as of April 2010.
But later May polls showed Lowden losing to Harry Reid by 5 percentage points (42-37). In primary election polling, Lowden held an even greater lead of 18 points over her closest primary opponent in two independent surveys conducted April 2010. Her numbers then declined by more than 20 points.
Using data from a poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc.
Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc.
Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. is an independent polling firm that conducts voter surveys for news media, lobbyists, advocacy groups, trade associations, and political action committees. Mason-Dixon is the nation's most active state polling organization, conducting copyrighted public opinion...
. the Las Vegas Review-Journal on May 28, 2010 stated that "Republican Sue Lowden has the best chance of defeating U.S. Sen. Harry Reid". The poll predicted that Lowden would win 42 percent of the vote over Reid's 39 percent with a margin of error "plus or minus 4 percentage points."
Sharron Angle
Sharron Angle
Sharron Elaine Angle is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Nevada Assembly from 1999 to 2007. She ran unsuccessfully as the 2010 Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in Nevada, garnering 45 percent of the vote...
went on to defeat Lowden by a margin of 13.98%.
Campaign debts
In early 2011, Lowden said in court documents that she could not pay her campaign debts. She owed about $750,000 as of December 2010.Personal life
In 1983, she married Paul Lowden, a Nevada businessman. At the time, he owned the Sahara and HaciendaHacienda (resort)
The Hacienda was a Paradise, Nevada hotel/casino that operated on the Las Vegas Strip from 1956 to 1996. It was one of four Hacienda properties owned by Standard Motels, Inc., with the other three being located in Fresno, Bakersfield, and Indio, California. The other Haciendas also featured the...
casinos. They later built the Santa Fe Station
Santa Fe Station
Santa Fe Station is a locals casino located on Rancho Drive in Las Vegas, Nevada. The casino is owned by Station Casinos and is located on of land.-History:...
casino and remain majority owners of the Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall
Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall
The Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall is a hotel and casino in Laughlin, Nevada known for its neon cigarette-puffing River Rick marque. It used to be a sister property of Pioneer Club in Las Vegas until both properties sold to separate parties.-History:...
. He had a boy and girl, and together they had two sons (her youngest died at 17), and have one granddaughter. She and her husband reside in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
Other
Lowden had an impromptu appearance on the Tonight Show in 1978 where she was picked out of the audience by guest host Don Rickles who fawned on her as a result of her physical beauty. Rickles was struck by her beauty and joked towards the end of their discussion, "you've got a great a body, I'm not saying that in any kind of sexy way...I want to be with you so bad Sue!" Sue was accompanied by two acquaintances one of which was former professional NFL football player Edgar ChandlerEdgar Chandler
Edgar Thomas Chandler, Jr. was an American Professional Football player who played linebacker for six seasons, for the Buffalo Bills in the American Football League and the NFL, and for the NFL New England Patriots. Chandler was a two-time All-American at the University of Georgia...
.
External links
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