Las Vegas mayoral candidates ramp up campaigns before early voting starts

By Delen Goldberg

Thursday, March 17, 2011 | 5:27 p.m.

With two days to go until early voting starts, candidates for Las Vegas mayor are pulling out the stops to try to push votes their way.

A few nuggets:

* Councilman Steve Ross launched a "Walk a day in your shoes" tour in which he visited local businesses to help employees do their jobs.

Ross fluffed pillows and cleaned rooms at a downtown hotel, then washed cars at a Northwest Las Vegas car wash.

"It's businesses like these that make the economy work," Ross said.

Ross said he launched the tour to show that he's "not afraid to get dirty and work hard."

* George Harris called on casino executive Sheldon Adelson to resume work on the shuttered St. Regis project near the Palazzo hotel and casino.

Work on the $600 million condominium tower stopped in November 2008 when the Las Vegas Sands Corp. ran into financial problems.

Last month, USA Today reported that Adelson wants to build a "mini Las Vegas" in Europe.

"I applaud Mr. Adelson's entrepreneurial spirit and I wish him the best of luck," Harris said. "However, before Mr. Adelson spends another dollar outside Nevada, I ask him to take care of the city that made him rich."

Incidentally, the Strip is not part of Las Vegas. It's in unincorporated Clark County.

Harris points out that Adelson is the 16th richest person in the world, and restarting the St. Regis project would create 1,000 construction jobs.

Harris also names his five leading opponents - Carolyn Goodman, Chris Giunchigliani, Larry Brown, Ross and Victor Chaltiel - and says they "have all had positions of influence for years but have not raised this issue."

Chaltiel is chairman of the board of the Adelson Educational Campus.

* Harris sent out an announcement to report that former state Sen. Bob Beers endorsed him. Beers is Harris' campaign manager.

* Unsuccessful U.S. Senate candidate Danny Tarkanian endorsed Carolyn Goodman. Tarkanian is a Republican; Goodman is an independent. She also comes out with a new television commercial Friday.