Wednesday, Oct. 21, 1998 | 10:48 a.m.
Milt Doyle leaned back in his chair and motioned toward a cluster of landscape photographs hanging on the wall inside his Tropicana Avenue office.
"Guess which one of these wasn't taken in Hawaii," he said, admiring the pictures of lush-green landscape. "Which one?"
The correct picture was chosen -- a photograph of a waterfall cascading through dense forest.
"Yep. That's in Tennessee," Doyle boasts. "My home state."
It's clear Doyle still has strong ties to his native state. But more than 25 years ago, he chose to stay in Las Vegas. And eight months ago, the Republican decided to make a difference by running for the District G seat on the County Commission.
District G is in the central portion of the Las Vegas Valley, east of Interstate 15. The seat became vacant when Commissioner Lorraine Hunt entered the race for lieutenant governor.
Doyle may not have the same flair as Dario Herrera, his politically polished Democratic opponent for the District G seat, but at a time when voters may be tiring of professional politicians, Doyle says he feels his weakness may be a strength after all.
"I've never run for office before," the 49-year-old Doyle said. "There is no big secret to it. It's all common sense, and a lot of politicians have lost sight of that."
Doyle's inexperience became painfully evident during a televised debate against Herrera on Oct. 2. He borrowed Herrera's answers, stumbled through his own answers and seemed awkward and uncomfortable throughout the debate.
"I did lousy," Doyle said. "It was the first time I'd been on TV and it was the first time I'd been in a debate. I looked like a bumbling guy who didn't know his business."
In Doyle's defense, the questions that candidates received before the debate weren't the same ones posed during the debate, and many of the questions asked were better suited for state legislators, not county commissioners.
Doyle's campaign manager, Mark Kincaid, son of County Commissioner Mary Kincaid, said their opponent had friends and relatives in the audience asking questions they knew would highlight Herrera's strengths.
"When you leave it open like that, those kinds of things are going to happen," Kincaid said. "We could have done that, too, but we didn't think that's what a debate should be about."
Doyle brushes off the rough night and said he learned from his experience. He said he can prove to voters that he indeed knows his business.
Among Doyle's stances:
On crime, he says Metro Police can take a look at the department and "trim the fat," allowing for more officers on the streets. He said his opponent's idea for new substations isn't realistic. The only way to buy property, grade the land and construct the building is by raising taxes, Doyle said, adding that raising taxes is not a viable option for him.
On growth, the candidate says he welcomes it but wants it to be managed more efficiently.
"If we don't have growth, this town comes to a standstill," he said.
On ethics, he emphasized that commissioners are elected to do a job and shouldn't back away from an important decision simply because they fear an ethics investigation.
"We need to tell elected officials that we put you in there to do a job, now do it," Doyle said. "Don't be afraid to make a decision."
Throughout his life, Doyle has proven his ability to overcome adversity. He grew up on a farm in the tiny mountain town of Morrison, Tenn. He had nine brothers and sisters and his mother adopted three more children, even though they struggled financially.
"We grew our own food and my dad made about 50 cents an hour," Doyle said. "Kids won't even work for that today."
He left Tennessee when he was 19 years old and joined the U.S. Air Force. In 1972, he was transferred to Nellis Air Force Base, where he operated the post office. A year later, he began his career in real estate and insurance.
Doyle married in 1978. His wife, Deborah, died from lupus two years ago and Doyle has since split his time running his insurance business and taking care of their 17-year-old son, Dustin.
"I think Joe Public is happy I'm out there as a businessman and regular person," Doyle said. "I've been told my inexperience helps me; it's not a detriment."
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