Soccer could be the issue that kicks Las Vegas mayor out of office

By Conor Shine

Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Six months ago, Carolyn Goodman seemed to have an unassailable grip on a second term as Las Vegas mayor.

During her first three years in office, the city’s economy rebounded and downtown development flourished. Goodman avoided major controversy and was less prone to the type of remarks that often landed her predecessor and husband, former Mayor Oscar Goodman, in hot water — such as telling fourth-graders his hobby was drinking booze.

Carolyn Goodman also helped lead a failed deal to bring a professional soccer team and stadium to downtown Las Vegas. Building a stadium had been Oscar Goodman’s goal for a decade and was a key part of Carolyn Goodman’s 2011 campaign. It was supposed to be the Goodmans’ legacy.

Now, it could lead to the end of their political dynasty.

After a contentious 4-3 city council vote in December to approve more than $56 million of public funding for a $200 million stadium project, Las Vegas Councilman Stavros Anthony began plotting a run for mayor. He announced his candidacy the following month.

Anthony plans to use Goodman’s support of the stadium against her. Last week, the soccer proposal crumbled after Las Vegas failed to be selected by Major League Soccer for a team.

But how far the issue will carry Anthony remains to be seen.

Anthony faces an uphill battle in overcoming Goodman’s name recognition and deep community ties, which already netted her $136,000 in campaign contributions.

Anthony has as much as $160,000 left over from his 2013 council run, but he’ll need more if he hopes to keep pace with Goodman. Anthony could find allies in the Culinary Union and Boyd Gaming, which both also opposed the stadium, although it’s unknown whether they’ll use their financial and political clout to back Anthony’s campaign.

Aside from the stadium, there’s not much that differentiates the candidates. Anthony is a Republican, while Goodman is unaffiliated, but the mayoral race is nonpartisan and most City Council issues don’t fall along ideological lines.

The two have worked closely together for years. Anthony is Goodman’s second-in-command as mayor pro tem, and the two have voted similarly on most city issues.

Anthony’s previous biggest break from Goodman was his opposition to medical marijuana dispensaries opening in the city. Anthony also voted against building a new city hall in 2009.

Carolyn Goodman wasn’t on the council at the time, but Oscar Goodman was and voted in favor of the project.

Heading into the campaign, both candidates say they want the best for Las Vegas. For Goodman, that means continuing to grow downtown by finding new ways to draw tourists there. Anthony wants to invest more in the city’s neighborhoods, using taxpayer dollars earmarked for the stadium to build new parks.

The campaign battle so far has started slow, but it is expected to intensify quickly with fewer than two months before the April 7 primary. Two other candidates in the race, Abdul Shabazz and Phil Cory, are political newcomers and are unlikely to capture much of the vote.

That could make the primary a winner-take-all affair. If either Goodman or Anthony wins 50 percent of the vote, they would win the seat outright, without the need for a general election.