Prior to her election to federal office, Rep. Titus had served as minority leader in the Nevada state Senate from 1993-2008.http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=T000468

Titus earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the College of William and Mary in 1970, and a master's degree from the University of Georgia in 1973 and a Ph.D. from Florida State University, also in Political Science, in 1976.http://titus.house.gov/go/about_dina/index.shtml

In 1977, Titus took on a teaching position at North Texas State University, and in 1978 left to accept a teaching position at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. She remained a professor at UNLV throughout her statewide political career in Nevada, being first elected to the Nevada state Senate in 1989, serving continuously until 2008. In that time, she was the minority leader in the Nevada state Senate from 2003-2008.http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=T000468

In 2006, Titus had run unsuccessfully for Nevada Governor. In 2008, she was selected by the Democratic party to run for the Third Congressional District of Nevada after an earlier candidate, Robert Daskas had dropped out. Titus went on to defeat Republican party incumbent Jon Porter in the November election. She was sworn in as part of the 111th Congress on January 3, 2009.

Rep. Titus is married to Thomas Clayton Wright. They have no children.http://titus.house.gov/go/about_dina/index.shtml

As Minority Leader of the Nevada state Senate, Titus sponsored legislation for the formation of Nevada’s Check Up program which provides health care for uninsured minors. She also sponsored a successful bill to double penalties for offenders who commit crimes against disabled persons.http://titus.house.gov/go/about_dina/index.shtml