The Eye

Republicans considered Guedry was considered a top-tier prospect to Titus, who segued from a competitive but unsuccessful bid for governor in 2006 to upset three-term Republican Rep. Jon Porter in 2008.

The GOP has targeted the 3rd District for 2010, seeking to win back a district that had been in the party fold since it was created after the 2000 reapportionment and prior to the 2002 election that first sent Porter to Congress.

The 3rd District went for Democrat Barack Obama by a margin of more than 10 percentage points over Republican John McCain of neighboring Arizona in last year's presidential election.

But Titus defeated Porter with 47 percent of the vote and a 5-point margin, which Republicans point to as a sign that she is vulnerable for her 2010 race -- especially since Obama will not be on the ballot and the enormous field operation he built for the 2008 campaign will not be a factor this time.

Nevada, after a long economic boom, has been hit hard by the current deep economic recession. And GOP figures in Nevada and Washington, D.C., have sought to tie Titus to policies pursued by President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that they claim have increased government spending while failing to stem the rise in unemployment.

Guedry -- as a successful banker but one who is not tied to the major financial industry firms that precipitated the economic downturn -- was seen by his party supporters as well-suited to make their case against Titus. He had been contrasting his background in the private sector with Titus' long service in government.

Titus' U.S. House victory was preceded by 20 years in the state Senate, and she was the chamber's Democratic leader for most of that tenure.

Guedry's sudden withdrawal leaves businessman Brian Scroggins as the only other Republican who has actively expressed interest in the race. Scroggins is a former Republican Party chairman in populous Clark County, which includes Las Vegas and its 3rd District suburbs.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that there was some discussion, in the immediate aftermath of Guedry's drop-out, that former state Sen. Joe Heck might drop his long-shot primary challenge to Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons and shift over to the 3rd District race. But the newspaper said a spokesman for Heck denied the rumor and said his candidate will remain in the race for governor.

CQ Politics rates the general election contest Leans Democratic.

To see how all of the 2010 House races are shaping up, check out the CQ Politics' election map.

Emily Cadei contributed to this article.