Thursday, Oct. 22, 1998 | 12:24 p.m.
CARSON CITY -- Democrats are predicting they will maintain or even widen their 25-17 lead in the state Assembly and are looking to their stronghold, Clark County, to deliver.
Clark sent 19 of the 25 Democrats to the Assembly in 1997. Only seven Republicans were elected from Southern Nevada.
Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Minden, says his party may increase its numbers to 19 in November. Assembly Speaker Joe Dini, D-Yerington, says the Democrats should pick up two to three seats statewide. One or two should come from Clark.
In Clark County, Democrats Sandy Krenzer retired from District 19 and Dario Herrera left District 16 to run for the County Commission. Republicans Deanna Braunlin in District 4 did not seek re-election and Jack Close in District 15 is after a Senate seat.
Here is a breakdown of the contests in Clark County:
* District 1: -- Two-term incumbent Democrat Tom Collins, 48, owner of a power line-installation company, is opposed by Republican Jeff Knight, 28, an account executive. Collins says more must be demanded of the schools but the tools should be given them to be successful. Knight, who ran unsuccessfully for the Assembly in 1996, says growth, education and accountability are the major issues.
* District 2: -- One-term incumbent Republican Merle Berman, 52, involved in real-estate investment and development goes against Democrat Lynette McDonald, 35, director of marketing and community relations at UNLV, and Lucille Lusk, 51, a former Clark County School Board member who is running on the Independent American Party ticket. Berman pushed hard in 1997 to allow private companies to build toll roads in Nevada. McDonald says education, growth and crime are the major issues. Lusk, a former Republican, calls for no more taxes without a vote of the people.
* District 3: -- One-term incumbent Democrat John Lee, 43, owner of a plumbing business, was a leader in 1997 to crack down on abuses by swimming-pool contractors. He faces Republican Nathan Taylor, 23, a media consultant who is making his first try for public office. Taylor says government is bloated and "far too directly involved in our lives." The Libertarian candidate is Lewis Roesberry.
* District 4: -- Democrat Vince Triggs, 50, executive director of Nevada Association for the Handicapped, seeks to return to the Assembly where he served two terms previously. He wants to find a better way to coordinate services for children and families. Republican Bob Beers, 39, owner of a computer system-integration company, favors charter schools and restructuring of the Clark County School District. Beers was fined $5,000 by the state Ethics Commission in the primary election for distributing misleading information about his opponent.
* District 6: -- Six-term incumbent Democrat Wendell Williams, 48, works in business development for the city of Las Vegas. As chairman of the Education Committee, he helped push through the public school reform act of 1997. Republican Arlene Southard, a school teacher, ran for the Assembly two years ago and lost. She says teacher salaries are too low and she wants to address child abuse and women's issues.
* District 7: -- Seven-term incumbent Democrat Morse Arberry, 45, is deputy director of neighborhood services for the city of Las Vegas and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee that builds the state budget. The challenger is Republican Craig Moore, who owns a construction business.
* District 9: -- Four-term incumbent Democrat Chris Giunchigliani, 43, a teacher who says she will continue "fighting for seniors, children and working men and women." Republican Mark Scarborough, 45, a software specialist, believes "in less government intrusion and less taxes."
* District 11: -- Four-term incumbent Democrat Douglas Bache, 47, a teacher, says growth, traffic congestion and infrastructure are some of the main issues. He believes a regional planning board could coordinate local government plans. The Republican challenger is Bryan Henchik, 28, administrative assistant at the suicide-prevention center, who is making his second try for this office. He said he wants to see increased audits of state government and more information released to prevent such things as companies getting state contracts when they owe back taxes.
* District 12: -- Two-term incumbent Democrat Genie Ohrenschall, owner of a small business, wants to strengthen protections for seniors, families and mobile-home residents. Republican Brian Clark, 37, a database marketing manager, is against any tax increases and lists government accountability as one of his top issues. Ed Flores, 25, an owner of a small business who wants to make English the official language of the state, is an independent candidate.
* District 13: -- Two-term incumbent Republican Dennis Nolan, 37, a corporate safety director, supports, among other things, chemical castration for habitual predatory sexual offenders who are to be released from prison and bonus pay for teachers based upon their performance. Democrat Bill Newman, 49, professor of management information systems at UNLV's College of Business, says education, roads and airport noise are the major issues.
* District 14: -- One-term incumbent Ellen Koivisto, 55, support staff at the Provost's Office at UNLV, says major issues are health-care costs, welfare to work and juvenile crime. The Republican is Mike Plaisted, 57, who sells business machines. He says schools are placing too much emphasis on computers and calculators and should get back to the old-fashioned values. He also opposes the proposed quarter-cent sales tax increase to boost water capacity in Southern Nevada.
* District 15: -- Republican Jim Forte, 40, owner of a business buying and selling stamps for collectors, says the purpose of government is not to manage the affairs of men but rather to administer justice to men who administer their own affairs. Democrat Kathy McClain, 54, senior management analyst for Clark County, says major issues include protection of senior citizens, the accountability of elected officials and giving children the best possible learning and life experiences. Florian Tschmelitsch is also in the race as an independent candidate.
* District 16: -- Republican Stefan Steel, 52, who is self-employed, ran two years ago for Assembly and lost. He says there should be less taxes and smaller government. Democrat Kelly Thomas, 29, is a city planner whose major issue is sustainable growth -- "We did not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrowed it from our children." The Libertarian candidate is Michael Thomas, 23, who is studying international business at UNLV and believes in less government.
* District 17: -- Twelve-term Democrat incumbent Bob Price, 62, an electrician-realtor, says his experience is what distinguishes him from his opponent, Republican Frank Tucker, 38, a supervisor of guest services at a Strip hotel. Tucker says he's for "more meaningful" charter schools, protection of the rights of home schools and making sure older neighborhoods get their share of money for street repairs, safety programs and education.
* District 18: -- Two-term Democrat incumbent Mark Manendo; 32, a recruiter for Institutional Development Centre, wants to make sure the 1997 law on handicapped parking enforcement is working and wants to get money for building a veterans home in Northern Nevada, now that one is about to be built in Southern Nevada. Republican Patty Slack, 53, a clerk in a bookstore, lists the major issues as strengthening families, working on crime and caring about senior issues.
* District 19: -- Democrat Jerry Claborn, 59, assistant district representative of the Operating Engineers Union, is making his first try for public office. He says teachers need higher pay and protection from frivolous suits. He said growth has to be curbed to stop increasing pollution. Republican Gary Horrocks, 45, a tavern owner, licensed commercial pilot, automobile dealer and state emissions inspector, says he wants to improve traffic management, see government accountable and reduce waste.
* District 20: -- One-term Republican incumbent Kathy Von Tobel, 40, student at Community College of Southern Nevada, lists her priorities as growth, education and renaming the Floyd Lamb Park as Tule Springs Park. Democrat John Oceguera, 30, captain in the fire department, says new solutions are needed in growth, education, taxation and care for our elderly.
* District 21: -- Three-term Republican incumbent Sandra Tiffany, 49, backs retraining of teachers to meet the higher standards demanded of students, she opposes higher taxes and wants to fast-track highway projects in Southern Nevada. No Democrat filed in the race. Chris Hansen, an Independent American, ran for the Assembly two years ago and lost. He favors starting a school voucher system and encouraging private silver and gold coinage for state use.
* District 22: -- Three-term Democrat incumbent Gene Segerblom, 78, a retired teacher, says guns in schools, HMO reform and school construction are her priority issues. Republican Anthony "Tony" Delgado, 58, an international trade consultant and small-business owner, lists education, seniors, veterans and diversification of the economy as his issues.
* District 23: -- Three-term Democrat incumbent Richard Perkins, 36, a captain in the Henderson Police Department, served as majority floor leader in the last two sessions. His campaign issues are better coordinated growth, education reform and better protection of children. Republican Troy LaMana, 32, a technical assistance analyst for a private company, says school teachers need to be paid what they are worth but they must pass tests. He say the aging infrastructure must be rebuilt to serve the growing population. This is his first run for public office and he said, "I felt it was my duty to give people a choice."
* District 28: -- Four-term Democrat incumbent Vonne Chowning, 55, a real-estate agent, plans to continue education reform, beef up consumer protection for auto-repair fraud and promote legislation to make neighborhoods safer. Her Democratic opponent, Judi Lynn, owner of a company that sells balloons for celebrations, says she supports smaller class sizes and equitable funding for the schools. No Republican filed.
* District 41: -- One-term Democrat incumbent David Parks, 54, assistant director of the Regional Transportation Commission, says the primary issues are growth and its impact on education, transportation and development. Republican Phillip Dane, 78, a retired inventor, ran once before for sheriff in 1962. He says social programs should be removed from the schools, which should get back to basics.
* District 42: -- One-term Democrat incumbent Harry Mortenson, 68, a nuclear physicist, opposed the program last session for an increase in the sales tax for the expansion of the water system in Southern Nevada. Republican Bill Robinson, 53, a former vice president at various casinos, says drunken driving reform and protection of senior citizens are two of his main issues.
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