In 1949, she relocated to Reno, Nevada, for what was intended to a brief period, so she could legally dissolve her first marriage under the city's famously lax divorce laws.

[4] Vucanovich's second husband, Ken Dillon, introduced her to Nevada Republican politics in the 1950s, when the party was slowly building after decades of minority status.

She faced serious opposition once, in 1992, when Bill Clinton won the electoral votes of Nevada over George Herbert Walker Bush, Vucanovich's choice.

Motivated in part by her own experience, Vucanovich supported funding for early screening, detection and treatment of breast cancer.

[5] Vucanovich served for many years on the House Interior Committee, of which she eventually became the ranking Republican on the Mining and Minerals Subcommittee.

Vucanovich authored the repeal of the 55 mph speed limit, particularly popular in the American West and a measure to prevent more than one state from taxing pensions and retirement benefits.

[5] She launched a campaign to become Secretary of the Republican Conference shortly after Congressman Bob Michel announced he would not seek another term.

She prevailed in a close contest for secretary after a rousing nomination speech by Henry Hyde (R-IL), a friend and ally in their shared opposition to abortion.

[citation needed] Vucanovich positioned herself early in her House career as a conservative leader, having aligned herself with a group of members such as Newt Gingrich, Bob Walker and Vin Weber who were not content with minority status.