Dina Titus

Dina Titus
Born	Alice Constandina Titus 23 5, 1950
Birthplace	Thomasville, Georgia, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, political scientist
Known for	U.S. Representative for Nevada's 1st congressional district; former Nevada State Senator; professor of political science at UNLV
Education	Florida State University (PhD)
Website	[https://titus.house.gov/ Official site]

Alice Constandina "Dina" Titus (born May 23, 1950) is an American politician and political scientist serving as the U.S. Representative for Nevada's 1st congressional district since January 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Titus previously represented Nevada's 3rd congressional district from 2009 to 2011. Before entering federal office, she spent two decades in the Nevada Senate, where she served as minority leader from 1993 to 2008, and maintained a parallel career as a professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Her long tenure in Nevada politics has encompassed legislative service, an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 2006, and sustained work on issues including transportation, tourism, nuclear nonproliferation, and veterans' affairs. Born in Thomasville, Georgia, Titus has made Southern Nevada her political home for more than four decades, establishing herself as one of the state's most enduring Democratic officeholders. With the announced retirement of fellow Nevada Representative Mark Amodei in 2026, Titus is expected to become the dean of Nevada's congressional delegation in 2027.

Early Life

Dina Titus was born Alice Constandina Titus on May 23, 1950, in Thomasville, Georgia, a small city in the southern part of the state. Her given name reflects her Greek heritage; the name "Constandina" is a traditional Greek name. Titus grew up in the American South during the civil rights era, a period that would later inform her interest in political science and public policy. Details of her family background and childhood in Thomasville remain largely private, but her upbringing in a small Southern community shaped her later academic focus on politics, federalism, and the intersection of government and civil society.

Titus eventually left Georgia to pursue higher education, a path that would take her through several institutions across the southeastern United States before she settled in Nevada, where she would build both her academic and political careers.

Education

Titus earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. She subsequently completed a Master of Arts degree at the University of Georgia before obtaining her PhD from Florida State University. Her doctoral studies focused on political science, and her academic training equipped her for a career that would span both the classroom and the political arena. Titus's educational background in political science at three respected institutions provided the intellectual foundation for her later work as both a scholar of government and a practitioner within it.

Career

Academic Career at UNLV

Before entering elected office at the federal level, Titus built a substantial academic career as a professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She joined the UNLV faculty and became a recognized figure in Nevada's academic community, teaching and writing about American government, Nevada politics, and nuclear policy. Her scholarly work included the book Battle Born: Federal-State Conflict in Nevada During the Twentieth Century, which examined the complex relationship between the federal government and the state of Nevada across a range of policy areas.

Titus maintained her position at UNLV throughout her years in the Nevada Senate, balancing her legislative duties with her teaching responsibilities. In 2011, following her defeat in the 2010 congressional election, she retired from UNLV as part of a buyout arrangement valued at $162,000. Her decades of teaching at UNLV left a lasting imprint on generations of political science students in Nevada and contributed to broader academic discourse on federalism and nuclear policy in the American West.

Nevada State Senate (1988–2008)

Titus was elected to the Nevada Senate in 1988, representing the 7th district. She succeeded Herbert Jones in the seat and would go on to serve in the chamber for two decades. During her tenure, she rose to the position of minority leader in 1993, a role she held continuously until she left the Senate in 2008—one of the longest tenures as legislative minority leader in Nevada history.

As minority leader, Titus served as the principal voice of the Democratic caucus in the Republican-controlled Nevada Senate for much of her time in the chamber. Her legislative focus areas included education policy, environmental protection, and opposition to nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain, an issue of particular significance to Nevada constituents. Her ability to maintain the minority leader position for 15 years reflected her standing among Democratic colleagues and her effectiveness as a legislative strategist, even when her party lacked majority control.

2006 Gubernatorial Campaign

In 2006, Titus secured the Democratic nomination for governor of Nevada, running against Republican incumbent Jim Gibbons. The race attracted national attention as Democrats sought to capitalize on an unfavorable political environment for Republicans. Titus campaigned on issues including education funding, healthcare, and opposition to the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. Despite a competitive campaign, she lost the general election to Gibbons. The gubernatorial race nonetheless raised her statewide profile and positioned her for a subsequent run for Congress.

U.S. House of Representatives: Nevada's 3rd District (2009–2011)

In 2008, Titus ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Nevada's 3rd congressional district, a suburban Las Vegas seat held by Republican Jon Porter. Running in a favorable political environment for Democrats—coinciding with Barack Obama's presidential campaign—Titus defeated Porter and was sworn into office on January 3, 2009, succeeding him in the seat.

During her single term representing the 3rd district, Titus focused on economic recovery issues amid the Great Recession, which hit Las Vegas and the broader Nevada economy with particular severity. The state experienced among the highest foreclosure and unemployment rates in the nation, and Titus worked on legislation related to economic stimulus and housing relief.

In the 2010 midterm elections, which saw significant Republican gains nationwide, Titus was defeated by Republican Joe Heck. The loss ended her first stint in Congress after a single term.

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

Following her 2010 defeat, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appointed Titus to the United States Commission on Civil Rights in December 2010, providing her with a continued role in federal policy during the period between her congressional terms.

U.S. House of Representatives: Nevada's 1st District (2013–present)

Following redistricting after the 2010 census, Titus ran for Congress again in 2012, this time in Nevada's 1st congressional district, which encompassed much of urban Las Vegas. She won the seat, succeeding Shelley Berkley, and took office on January 3, 2013. She has been reelected to the seat in every subsequent election cycle.

Committee Assignments and Legislative Focus

In the House, Titus has served as a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, where she has become a senior member. This committee assignment has allowed her to advocate for infrastructure investment in Southern Nevada, including transportation projects, road safety initiatives, and tourism-related infrastructure. Her position on the committee has made her a key voice on surface transportation legislation, aviation policy, and infrastructure spending.

Titus has also been involved in several congressional caucuses. She has served as a member of the Congressional Arts Caucus and the International Conservation Caucus. She has also participated in the U.S.-Japan Caucus.

Tourism and Trade

Given the economic centrality of tourism to Las Vegas and Nevada's 1st congressional district, Titus has made travel and tourism policy a signature issue. In February 2026, she introduced legislation aimed at strengthening travel and tourism ties among the United States, Mexico, and Canada, reflecting her ongoing efforts to support the tourism-dependent economy of Southern Nevada.

Nuclear Nonproliferation and Testing

Drawing on her longstanding opposition to nuclear activities in Nevada—rooted in her years of academic research and state legislative advocacy against the Yucca Mountain project—Titus has been active on nuclear policy in Congress. In October 2025, she introduced the Renewing Efforts to Suspend Testing and Reinforce Arms Control Initiatives Now (RESTRAIN) Act, legislation aimed at preventing the resumption of nuclear testing. This issue has deep resonance in Nevada, which was home to the Nevada Test Site where the United States conducted hundreds of nuclear weapons tests during the Cold War.

Transportation and Road Safety

As a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Titus has introduced multiple pieces of legislation related to road safety. In December 2025, she introduced the Protect Our Students Act, legislation designed to improve road safety for students in Southern Nevada. In February 2026, she joined Senator Edward Markey and Representative Sean Casten in calling for clean transportation investments in the upcoming surface transportation bill, reflecting her work at the intersection of infrastructure policy and environmental concerns.

Impeachment and Oversight

In December 2019, Titus voted in favor of the impeachment of President Donald Trump. She has continued to engage in congressional oversight activities, including in January 2026, when she introduced a resolution demanding that the Trump administration provide documents related to Greenland.

Armenian Issues

Titus has been active on issues related to Armenia and the Armenian diaspora. In 2020, she was among congressional leaders who called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to cut military aid to Azerbaijan and sanction Turkey for attacks against Armenia and Artsakh during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

2025 Accomplishments

At the close of 2025, Titus released an end-of-year report detailing her accomplishments on behalf of Nevada's 1st congressional district, covering her legislative work, constituent services, and advocacy for Southern Nevada. In January 2026, she noted her support for the passage of the FY2026 appropriations package.

Dean of Nevada Delegation

In February 2026, following the announcement of Republican Representative Mark Amodei's retirement, Titus commented that the decision had come as a surprise even to Amodei's staff. She noted that Amodei's northern Nevada district would likely remain Republican. Upon Amodei's departure from Congress, Titus is expected to become the dean of Nevada's congressional delegation in 2027, reflecting her longevity in the state's federal representation.

Personal Life

Titus has maintained a relatively private personal life throughout her political career. She resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, within the congressional district she represents. Her Greek heritage, reflected in her given name Constandina, has informed her engagement with Greek-American community organizations and her interest in issues affecting the Greek and broader Mediterranean diaspora. She has also been connected to Armenian-American advocacy, consistent with her legislative work on Armenian issues in Congress.

Legacy

Dina Titus's career spans more than three decades of public service in Nevada, encompassing roles as a university professor, state senator, and member of Congress. Her 20-year tenure in the Nevada Senate, including 15 years as minority leader, made her one of the most prominent Democratic legislators in the state during a period of Republican legislative dominance. Her academic work on Nevada politics and federal-state relations contributed to scholarly understanding of governance in the American West.

In Congress, Titus has established herself as a consistent advocate for Southern Nevada's tourism-dependent economy, transportation infrastructure, nuclear nonproliferation, and road safety. Her work on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has positioned her as a significant voice on infrastructure policy affecting the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Her expected role as dean of Nevada's congressional delegation beginning in 2027 would mark a further milestone in a career that has made her one of the longest-serving political figures in modern Nevada history.

Her scholarly contributions, particularly her book on federal-state conflict in Nevada, have provided a lasting academic resource on the political dynamics of a state whose relationship with the federal government—particularly regarding public lands, nuclear testing, and nuclear waste storage—has been a defining feature of its modern political identity.