Ed Cohen
Ed Cohen (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Nevada's 2nd Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 9, 2020.
Cohen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Ed Cohen was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Ohio University for his undergraduate degree and the University of Southern California for his graduate degree. He began working as a marketing and communications director for a nonprofit in the justice field in 2016. From 1988 to 2016, he worked as a magazine writer and editor and communication manager and director for college and universities. From 1981 to 1987 he worked as a journalist.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: Nevada's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020
Nevada's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (June 9 Republican primary)
Nevada's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (June 9 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Nevada District 2
Incumbent Mark Amodei defeated Patricia Ackerman and Janine Hansen in the general election for U.S. House Nevada District 2 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mark Amodei (R) | 56.5 | 216,078 |
 | Patricia Ackerman (D) | 40.7 | 155,780 | |
 | Janine Hansen (Independent American Party) | 2.8 | 10,815 | |
| Total votes: 382,673 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Richard Dunn (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Nevada District 2
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Nevada District 2 on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Patricia Ackerman | 48.9 | 26,411 |
 | Clint Koble | 22.8 | 12,315 | |
 | Ed Cohen | 13.3 | 7,186 | |
 | Rick Shepherd | 7.4 | 3,998 | |
 | Reynaldo Hernandez | 5.2 | 2,790 | |
 | Steve Schiffman | 1.8 | 974 | |
| Ian Luetkehans | 0.6 | 338 | |
| Total votes: 54,012 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Nevada District 2
Incumbent Mark Amodei defeated Joel Beck and Jesse Hurley in the Republican primary for U.S. House Nevada District 2 on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark Amodei | 80.8 | 61,462 |
 | Joel Beck | 14.9 | 11,308 | |
 | Jesse Hurley | 4.3 | 3,307 | |
| Total votes: 76,077 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ed Cohen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cohen's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Ed is a former award-winning newspaper and magazine reporter and editor who for the past three years has directed communications and marketing for a national nonprofit and nonpartisan organization in the justice field that is based in Reno. In 2018 he was honored as the employee who best exemplifies all five of the organization's core values: integrity, leadership, justice, excellence and innovation.
An independent (non-partisan) voter almost all of his adult life, he believes that no party holds a monopoly on good or bad ideas or good or bad people. America is about diverse people and ideas, and any call to "take our country back" will only lead to endless antagonism and division. The country belongs to all of us.
Ed believes in working collaboratively to find pragmatic solutions to problems, and he is a relentless advocate for honesty and accountability in public service. One of his signature proposals would amend the presidential oath of office and swear all future presidents to tell the truth.
He is running as a Democrat because in today's political climate the Democratic Party reflects his core values.
- Defending democracy means defeating Trumpism and not allowing its evils to become the new normal.
- We can, we should, and I will fight to make quality, affordable health care available to all.
- We must protect public lands in beautiful Northern Nevada and allow only responsible, sustainable development.
The 2020 general election will be a referendum on the most ignorant, irresponsible and dishonest major political figure in American history, Donald Trump, and on his party-blinded enablers in Congress.
I'm running to replace Trump's No. 1 enabler in Nevada, Rep. Mark Amodei, who chaired Trump's presidential campaign in Nevada and has condoned everything Trump has said and done as president. That includes the president having made a mind-boggling average of almost 15 false or misleading statements to the public PER DAY during his time in office (Washington Post Fact Checker, Dec. 16, 2019).
That's the elephant in the room that every voter can see and every other candidate for this office has chosen to ignore. Tolerating incessant lying by the holder of the most powerful office in government is an indefensible public policy.
We must also set aside childish party rivalries and devise practical strategies to address affordable health care, immigration, climate change, vast and growing disparities in income and wealth, mass shootings, reproductive rights and more.
My father, Cal Cohen, who passed away unexpectedly two years ago, was the best person I ever knew. He was my hero, and I think of him every day.
I admire and continue to be inspired Gandhi, King and others who worked relentlessly for peace, justice and understanding.
One of my political role models is Nancy Norling, a calm, thoughtful independent who chaired a politically divided Public Service Commission in Delaware when I covered regulated utilities for the state's dominant newspaper.
I also admire and appreciate many past and present creative artists, especially humorists, who make life more enjoyable.
How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
Honesty. A commitment to public service. Accountability. The courage to stand up for Constitution and fundamental elements of American democracy such as equal justice, the rule of law, freedom of the press, and free and fair elections.
I tell the truth. I believe in justice. I seek reasonable and practical solutions. I have a thick skin. I am relentless.
Public service, including constituent services (e.g,, providing help in dealing with government agencies). Authoring or supporting legislation to improve life for Northern Nevadans and all Americans. Fulfilling constitutional responsibilities, including serving as a check and balance on the executive and judicial branches. Continually demonstrating ethical behavior. Actually answering constituent questions rather than mailing form-letter "responses."
As a child I was keenly interested in the space program. I was 10 at the time of the first moon landing. I also remember the violent conflicts during the same era, including the political assassinations and the deadly protest at Kent State.
Mowing lawns in my neighborhood, which I did for several years. While growing up I also worked part time as a warehouse worker and in retail and building maintenance. Since college, writing, editing and communication management has been the focus of my professional life.
Chuck Noland from Cast Away
No body of the national government is closer to the people because House members must face the voters every other year. This is both a blessing and a curse. The framers envisioned Representatives who would be especially responsive to their constituents' needs. But the reality of modern elections is that members are almost always having to raise money for the next campaign.
Yes. Knowing the ropes and building relationships makes it easier to work effectively in a legislature or in any organization. But becoming cynical or discouraged by the system and losing one's ideals is clearly an occupational hazard in politics.
No. 1 is rejecting the historic evils of white nationalism, bigotry, ignorance, lies and authoritarianism. We must instead rededicate ourselves to America's highest ideals, including democracy, civility, equality of opportunity, tolerance, the rule of law, freedom of the press, education, innovation and the ability to act collectively toward worthy goals.
No problem is insurmountable and no achievement is beyond the reach of an America that lives up to those ideals.
I would want to serve on committees vital to Northern Nevada, especially Natural Resources (mineral resources, indigenous peoples, public lands). I intend to found the House Honesty Caucus to encourage truth telling and call attention to dishonesty. So I would be interested in the Ethics Committee, also the Judiciary Committee because of my experience working for a national nonprofit in the justice field.
I don't know. I'll have a better idea after I've gone through a cycle or two.
We already have term limits, elections. We voters have it in our power to limit any elected officials' time in office. If the official is doing a great job, why fire her or him after an arbitrary number of years ? A well-educated and attentive electorate is the best term limit. Sadly, as Chief Justice Roberts recently observed, too many Americans take democracy for granted. They don't have a strong understanding of civics or an appreciation of the importance of civic responsibilities.
Absolutely. I mentioned my promise to create the House Honesty Caucus. I would be interested in any position that strengthens ethical behavior and supports good government.
Democrat Russ Feingold comes to mind, as does Harold V. Froehlich. He was one of the seven (out of 17) Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee who voted to impeach Richard Nixon, knowing it would likely cost him re-election. Which it did. He went on to serve 30 years as a judge.
Vivian Leal is a Reno woman dealing with multiple sclerosis. When she was first diagnosed, her medication cost over $8,700 a year. Now it's over $90,000 a year. She has become an advocate for health care reform, including preservation of Obamacare's coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 2, 2020
