Nevada Republicans Choose Candidate for Open Congressional Seat Despite Lingering Election Questions

Nevada Republicans have chosen their candidate to run in September's special election to fill the open 2nd district congressional seat but it still remains to be seen whether he'll be the only GOP candidate allowed in the race. Over the weekend, the state's Republican committee nominated former chair Mark Amodei as its choice to seek the seat.

In a move last month that could have helped Democrats win the traditionally Republican seat, Nevada's Democratic Secretary of State set an open special election for September 13. But a court ruled out that free-for-all type of election and allowed for the parties to narrow down their candidates without holding primaries. That decision is being appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court which is set to finally determine the election's format by the end of June.

A plethora of candidates planned to run for the seat vacated by Republican Rep. Dean Heller who left to become Nevada's junior senator after John Ensign resigned in the midst of an ethics investigation. Fifteen Republicans, nine Democrats and five Independents have filed and if the lower court decision is overturned and no primary is held, all those candidates could end up on the ballot.

Last month former Tea Party candidate Sharron Angle who gave Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid a tighter than expected race in the 2010 midterms called either solution illegitimate and refused to run in a race without a primary.