Who will replace Hansen after racism scandal? Here are six possibilities

By Kyle Roerink

Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014 | 2 a.m.

Four Assembly Republicans are on the short list to replace the party’s outgoing speaker designee, Ira Hansen, for the 2015 legislative session.

Paul Anderson, John Ellison, Wes Duncan and John Hambrick have positioned themselves as the front-runners to lead the whipsawed Republican Assembly caucus, reeling from Hansen’s withdrawal from the speaker position amid a racism scandal.

Hansen, R-Sparks, came under fire for writing newspaper columns that disparaged minorities, women and members of the LGBT community. Assembly Republicans chose Hansen, who’s entering his third term, to lead the chamber as speaker earlier this month before the controversy arose. But facing a backlash from the commentary and criticisms from Democrats and fellow Republicans Gov. Brian Sandoval and U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, Hansen stepped down from the leadership post on Sunday.

The 25-member Republican Assembly caucus will elect Hansen’s replacement next week in Las Vegas. Here’s a look at the candidates who want his spot.

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  Courtesy

  Paul Anderson

  Republican Assembly members elected Anderson as the majority leader shortly after the party won back the chamber on Nov. 4. He would have been Hansen’s No. 2 during the session. But now he may be No. 1. The majority leader position implies a “next-in-line” ascension for speaker, but that doesn’t guarantee the top spot.

  Anderson said he’s not seeking the position but said he could “get the job done.”

  Members in both parties say he is on the top of the list.

  Tom Grady, a Republican lawmaker forced to leave office because of term limits, said Anderson should take the spot to keep the chain of command intact.

  “The right move would be to move Paul Anderson into the speakership and re-elect a majority leader,” he said.

  But “the right move” is not what always happens in the Nevada Legislature. Pat Hickey was the Republican Assembly minority leader during the last session and was an obvious speaker candidate after the Republicans won back the Assembly. But when the caucus congregated to choose its leader after Nov. 4, Hickey lost to Hansen.

  Anderson is a Las Vegas lawmaker who owns an IT business. The upcoming session will mark his second term in the Legislature. Of the 591 bill draft requests, Anderson has only asked for one: a law governing military leave for public employees.

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  Cathleen Allison / AP

  John Hambrick

  Hambrick wanted the majority leader spot, but was denied when his Republican Assembly peers chose Anderson. Now, though, his name is back in the hat.

  Hambrick is known for his ambition but so far hasn’t developed the support needed to propel him into a leadership post. A Las Vegas lawmaker and former Secret Service member, he wanted to be minority leader in the 2013 session but lost out to Hickey.

  In a 25-member caucus with 13 freshman lawmakers, Hambrick has more experience than the majority of his Republican cohorts. He will be serving his fourth term.

  Hambrick has submitted bill drafts targeting provisions affecting human trafficking, regulation of firearms and the dissolution of marriage.

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  Courtesy

  Wes Duncan

  In the 2012 elections, Duncan did what few thought he could do: oust prominent Democrat Marcus Conklin.

  Republicans recruited him for the job three years ago and now he’s hoping his colleagues will cast him to the top of the caucus.

  Duncan is a private attorney who served in Iraq as a member of the Air Force Reserves. He moved to Nevada in 2007 when he was stationed at Nellis Air Force base as a member of the Judge Advocate General Corps.

  He sponsored seven bills in 2013, with one becoming law, and has his name on five draft requests for the upcoming session. Those include legislation for revising domestic violence laws, designating military veteran status on driver’s licenses and offering tax credits for school tuition organizations.

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  Sam Morris

  John Ellison

  The Elko lamaker didn’t throw his name in the mix at first. But he received calls from new and veteran lawmakers asking him to put his name on the list.

  Ellison is still undecided about whether he would consider being speaker. He’s an electrical contractor entering his third term in the Assembly.

  But he casts himself as a Republican who’s willing to work across the aisle and wants to talk about tax reforms.

  “That doesn’t mean they are going to pass, but we need to have a discussion,” he said.

  He lamented the turn of events involving Hansen and praised him as a family man. Hansen will retain his Assembly seat.

  “Everybody makes mistakes,” Ellison said. “I’ve never heard him say anything bad about anybody. I’ve never heard him say anything racial.”

  Ellison has nine bill drafts requested. Some aim at revising provisions governing child support, firearms and contractors.

• Longshots: Pat Hickey and Michele Fiore

  No one is talking about them as definites. But with the Nevada Assembly, it’s hard to tell what the future holds.

  Michele Fiore, the new leader of the Assembly tax committee, expressed after the election that she wanted to be speaker. Now that Hansen is gone, she may put her name on list. Her peers in the Assembly suggest that she will most likely run for majority leader if Anderson gets picked for the top spot.

  The other candidate who may come up is Hickey. After the election, Hickey and Hansen squared off for the top spot. Hickey lost and showed no interest in being in leadership. But now that the slot reopened, his candidacy for the top leader spot may emerge.

  But now that the caucus has been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, Hickey may stay out of the spotlight that leadership posts attract. He’s already a close confidant of Gov. Brian Sandoval, which gives him significant stature in the Legislature.

Cy Ryan contributed to this story.