No clear front runner — yet — in race for Las Vegas mayor

By Delen Goldberg

Friday, Feb. 4, 2011 | 2 a.m.

Las Vegas’ municipal elections are notoriously challenging for candidates. They lack the order imposed by partisan primaries. Turnout is typically in the low double digits, adding to the free-for-all spirit. And the fields can swell into scrums involving a dozen or more hopefuls.

The race for Las Vegas mayor would have been difficult to navigate even before Mayor Oscar Goodman’s wife, Carolyn, suddenly filed to run after months of silence on the question. But her and Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani’s entry into the race have added several variables to the victory equation.

Goodman and Giunchigliani join two other high-profile candidates: Las Vegas Councilman Steve Ross and Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown, also a former councilman. All four are known commodities and savvy fundraisers.

By Thursday afternoon — 24 hours before today’s filing deadline — 11 others had declared candidacy. And Victor Chaltiel, a well-connected and well-funded former health care administrator and venture capitalist, is expected to file today.

But the effect of Goodman and Giunchigliani appears to be that none of the leading candidates has a lock on any given constituency or a clear advantage. Their backgrounds, alliances and interests overlap, muddying the political waters.

Geography

Brown and Ross represent northwest Las Vegas — Brown on the commission, Ross on the council. Portions of their districts overlap, which is problematic. Constituents who have supported both previously will now have to choose sides.

Giunchigliani’s district represents parts of downtown and eastern Las Vegas, giving her a separate base all her own. But her county district includes fewer than 10,000 city voters, while Brown’s includes 110,000.

Still, the number that matters most on primary day in March is turnout.

Goodman, although well-liked because of her husband and her work with the Meadows School, enters the race with no voter base — or the largest in the city, depending on how you look at. She has never run for public office. But if you assume some Oscar voters — he won re-election by historic margins — will become Carolyn voters, then she likely has a considerable base to count on.

City ties

Ross has the advantage of being an incumbent city officer, the only in the pack of candidates. He’s serving his second term as a councilman. And he can argue that he’s more familiar with city issues than the others.

But Brown and Giunchigliani also regularly deal with Las Vegas-related issues as county commissioners.

Still, Goodman likely wins this category, based on the popularity of her husband. He can’t run for a fourth term because of term limits, but support for him and his agenda abounds in the community. She is selling herself as the candidate who will continue his policies for four more years.

War chests

Nothing in state law requires municipal candidates to declare starting or ending campaign balances — just money raised and spent — so it’s difficult to tell exactly how much money each candidate has going into the race. But Giunchigliani and Brown are believed to be leading the field.

Gary Gray, Giunchigliani’s campaign director and husband, said Giunchigliani will begin her campaign with about $500,000 in the bank.

Jim Ferrence, who is consulting Brown, wouldn’t reveal exact figures but said “finances won’t be an issue for Larry’s campaign.” Brown had a large fundraiser Thursday night.

Ross also declined to reveal his campaign balance but said he is raising money at a good clip. His 2010 account balances show he raised $45,000 that year and spent about $14,000.

Goodman has no existing campaign coffer, but she and her husband have amassed personal wealth that can be used in the race. Oscar Goodman also has 12 years of fundraising under his belt, although it is unclear how much money he has in his accounts.

Union support

Before Giunchigliani entered the race, Ross was considered “the union guy” destined to earn the votes of labor groups. A certified master electrician, Ross has been a union member for more than two decades and has for many years been assistant business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Now that Giunchigliani is in the contest, that constituency is split. Giunchigliani is also very popular with labor groups and has locked up the support of many union members, particularly among younger and more progressive groups.

Schools voters

Goodman and Giunchigliani will likely split votes in the education crowd. Both are expected to make schools the centerpieces of their campaigns.

“Some people say ‘it’s not the mayor’s job to fix schools’,” Giunchigliani said Wednesday while announcing her candidacy. “They’re right. It’s everybody’s job.”

Giunchigliani is a longtime special education teacher, although she’s rarely in the classroom these days because of her political responsibilities. Goodman founded and ran the Meadows School until she retired in June. One contrast that could emerge: Goodman headed the elite and expensive private school, while Giunchigliani taught in public, mostly inner-city schools.

Sun reporter Dave Toplikar contributed to this story.