Herrera seeks Hunt's seat

At a time when Democrats are trying to maintain a majority in the state Assembly, two members have bowed out of re-election races.

A mass exodus of Republicans, however, may soften the blow.

Assemblyman Dario Herrera, D-Las Vegas, said he will withdraw his bid for re-election today and re-file for the County Commission seat being vacated by Lorraine Hunt, a Republican seeking the nomination for lieutenant governor.

And Sandi Krenzer, D-North Las Vegas, has decided to call it quits after seven years representing her District 19 seat.

Herrera, who was elected to the District 16 seat in 1996, said he could better serve his constituents as a county commissioner, especially since many of the issues he has dealt with have been local.

Herrera is the first high-profile candidate to enter the race for Hunt's County Commission seat, following two relatively unknown Democrats, Mike Harris and Tom Chickory, and a Republican, Milt Doyle. Fellow Democrats Larry Spitler, a former assemblyman and school district lobbyist, and David Parks, an assemblyman seeking a second term, announced earlier they would not run for the commission seat.

At press time today, no one had filed for Herrera's Assembly seat. Hunt, who faces an ethics hearing today over alleged improprieties over the award of an airport concession lease to the son of a long-time real estate partner last August, filed for lieutenant governor on Monday.

Krenzer, meanwhile, said she will leave the Assembly because she's starting a new business.

"I'm going to pursue this opportunity and I will have to give up a secure seat," said Krenzer, who headed the Labor and Management Committee and was assistant majority whip in the past two sessions.

Krenzer, who is a partner in a counseling firm, said she needs to remain in Las Vegas to get the business off the ground while the Legislature is in session next winter. She added that she has four children in college and the Legislature has become a financial sacrifice.

She did not, however, rule out future political races.

Krenzer said two of her accomplishments while serving in the Assembly included bringing the state into federal compliance for equal rights for the mentally ill and mentally retarded and the State Industrial Insurance System reform.

On the Republican side in the Assembly, Deanna Braunlin of Las Vegas and Pete Ernaut, Pat Hickey, Joan Lambert and Brian Sandoval, all of Reno, are not seeking another term.

And Republican senators Jack Close of Las Vegas and Mark Amodei of Carson City also have announced they are not running for re-election.

In other campaign news, seven people filed Tuesday at the Clark County Elections Department.

University Regent Shelley Berkley filed for the 1st Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. John Ensign, a Republican hoping to unseat U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. Berkley, 47, became the eighth person to file for the office, and the second Democrat. With her massive campaign chest and widespread support, Berkley is considered a front-runner.

And car dealer Chuck Lee, a former police detective, filed to run against Sheriff Jerry Keller, who is seeking a second term in the non-partisan county-wide position.

Thuong Van Nguyen, a Republican, filed for the state Senate District 2 seat against incumbent Jack Regan, a Democrat. Regan was elected to the Senate in 1994 after two terms in the Assembly.

John Lee, a Democrat, filed for a second term to Assembly District 3. He is being challenged by Republican Nathan Taylor.

Also filing were Democrat Paul Holder for County Clerk, and Democrat Al Campbell for Mesquite Constable.

District Judge Deborah Agosti of Reno, who has held the job for 11 years, Tuesday filed for the Nevada Supreme Court to replace Chief Justice Charles Springer who has not said whether he will seek re-election.

Agosti was one of the first two women to be voted in as a district judge in Washoe County. Prior to that, she served as a justice of the peace.

In that job she started a policy that sped up arraignments of criminal suspects to within 72 hours instead of 12 days where they sat in jail without ever appearing before a judge.

Last year, Agosti, 46, was named "District Court Judge of the Year" by her fellow judges.

She is the first person to file for Springer's post. "I have never been afraid to make tough decisions in tough cases," she said.

Sen. Kathy Augustine, R-Las Vegas, filed for the GOP nomination for state controller to succeed Darrel Daines who is retiring.

Augustine, who served one term in the Assembly and one in the Senate, said this would be an easier race this time because Republicans have a slight edge in registration statewide.

She said Republicans number 34 percent in her Senate district in Las Vegas and she won by 10 percent.

Augustine, 41, was a flight pay accountant for 10 years with Continental and Delta airlines. "I did all of the flight pay for the 737 captains in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City," she said.

Augustine will meet Wally Earhart, a utility valuation specialist for the state Taxation Department, in the GOP primary. Mary Sanada, a CPA, who ran unsuccessfully four years ago is the only Democrat to file for controller so far.

The Independent American Party has submitted its nominations for political office, headed by former Republican Assemblyman Chuck Horne of Mesquite for governor and his son, Christopher Horne, also of Mesquite, for Congress in District 2, a seat held by Republican Jim Gibbons.

The Hansen family -- which founded the party -- will be prominent on the ballot. Daniel Hansen of Sparks, who has run twice for governor, twice for Congress and once for the Assembly, is a candidate for lieutenant governor. His brother, Joel Hansen of Las Vegas, is taking a second shot at attorney general and another brother, Christopher Hansen of Henderson, is running for Assembly District 21.

The IAP named Jess Howe of Las Vegas as its candidate for Congress District 1 which includes central Las Vegas; Mary Ann Dickens of Carson City for secretary of state; Merritt "Ike" Yochum of Carson City for treasurer; and Thomas Jefferson of Elko as controller.

Other Independent candidates are Lucille Lusk of Las Vegas for Assembly District 2; Bob Petersen of Las Vegas for Assembly District 4; Frank Bergwall of Ruth for Assembly District 35; and John H. deTar of Reno for Assembly District 37.

These Independent candidates have until July 1 to file their declarations.

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