Latinos Go Head to Head in Vegas House Race

Voters cast their ballots in a school gym in New York's Harlem neighborhood, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) (AP)

A Republican educator has entered the U.S. House contest to replace Democratic Congresswoman Shelley Berkley.

Miguel "Mike" Rodrigues announced Wednesday that he would compete in the 1st Congressional District race that includes Nevada's largest Hispanic population.

He is a faculty member at the University of Phoenix in Las Vegas. He is a former Clark County schools elementary principal and served in the U.S. Air Force.

Berkley is leaving the House to run for the U.S. Senate. Former Congresswoman Dina Titus and state Sen. Ruben Kihuen are competing for the Democratic nomination for that district.

Kihuen hopes to become the first Hispanic from Nevada elected to Congress. Rodrigues will now also be competing for Hispanics' votes, but winning the overwhelmingly Democratic district could be a challenge for any Republican.

Based on reporting by the Associated Press.

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