Wednesday, June 23, 2004 | 10:58 a.m.
Amid hooting, cheering and clapping, Steve Wolfson officially became the Las Vegas City Council's newest member at 8:50 p.m. Tuesday, when the count of Ward 2 votes was complete. His first act was to hug his wife, District Judge Jackie Glass, and his first words were for his family, who responded in turn.
"I had no doubt my dad would win," said Rachel Wolfson, 17, clenching her fist and pumping her arm. "He's such a hard worker."
Steve Wolfson thanked his family, then his campaign staff, volunteers and friends. He said he would take today off and start work Thursday meeting Ward 2 residents and perhaps some of his campaign opponents.
Wolfson beat out 11 others in the winner-take-all, six-week race with 1,380 votes -- 22.7 percent of the vote -- topping the next closest challenger, Gabriel Lither, by 245 votes.
Lither called Wolfson with congratulations, and the two plan to meet to discuss Ward 2 issues soon.
"Ward 2 is a diverse district," Wolfson said. "The needs are different in different parts of the ward."
As a candidate, he said, he met and spoke with hundreds of residents. Asked what issues came up during the election, and what he planned to address immediately, Wolfson said, "Not tonight."
He spoke during the campaign about putting citizens first, and mentioned issues relating to growth, preservation of Red Rock, traffic control, and crime and safety both in his public appearances and the numerous mailers sent out.
His campaign was well-organized, in part, he said, because he had been thinking of running half a year ago when it was rumored that former Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald would not run again.
That rumor turned out to be untrue, but the seat did become vacant when Boggs McDonald was appointed to an empty Clark County Commission seat.
The Las Vegas City Council declined to appoint anyone to fill her position, and instead opted for an unusual summer election, which was estimated to cost $80,000. The total turnout was 6,093, 17 percent of the registered voters in Ward 2, and represented about a thousand more voters than were expected at the polls.
The total was "what I would call typical," Clark County Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax said. "It's a lot better than the 10 percent some people were predicting."
David Montevecchio, 47, said even 20 percent wouldn't be enough.
"People don't realize what the people who went before us went through to get the right to vote, including women and blacks," Montevecchio said. "It's our duty to vote."
He was voting at the Christ Lutheran Church, 111 N. Torrey Pines Drive, one of four polling places open Tuesday.
"I voted for Wolfson. He looks like an honest person, and I didn't hold the fact that he was a lawyer against him," Montevecchio said.
Wolfson reported the most in contributions -- about $100,000 -- and expenses in the first campaign finance report filed June 10.
"Certainly, these campaigns require money," Wolfson said. "I can't shake 36,000 hands (the number of voters in Ward 2), so I have to use the media to get my message out."
Lither, who reported raising less than $10,000 but had the support of the powerful Culinary Union, placed second with 1,135 votes, or 18.7 percent.
"I wish Steve well," Lither said after the results were in. "He ran a good campaign with the resources he had. We ran an even better campaign on the resources we had."
The other top candidates were former Planning Commission Chairman Ric Truesdell, who received 877 votes, and city Planning Director Bob Genzer, who received 813 votes. The other candidates to break 100 votes were Nevada Stupak with 698, Joanne Levy with 471, and John Hambrick with 404.
Truesdell said that the candidates ran good, clean campaigns, and "we made the city look good -- we got the voters out there."
He said he wasn't sure if he would run for office again. "After I get my skin grafts for the sunburn, we'll see," said Truesdell, a joking reference to the color of his skin after spending so much time walking door to door seeking votes.
The candidates held parties to watch the results, some at their homes, and others in restaurants or bars.
Wolfson's supporters gathered at the Claim Jumper at Fort Apache and Charleston Boulevard, where televisions in the bar were tuned to KCLV Channel 2, the city's public access cable station.
The early results, out shortly after 7 p.m., showed Wolfson ahead, lending the party some buoyancy.
Dennis Hetherington, a Ward 2 resident who said he used to be a neighbor of Wolfson, said the biggest issue for him was ethics: "The only thing I'm looking for in any elected official is for them to be ethical and honest."
Councilman Michael Mack stopped by about 8 p.m. to congratulate Wolfson.
"I'm happy for him. I know he worked hard," Mack said. "He'll make a great member of council."
Wolfson, who during the one candidates' forum said that if Mayor Oscar Goodman needed someone to stand up to him, "I'm the guy," but he said Tuesday night that he was "looking forward to working with Mayor Goodman ... and all my fellow council members."
Goodman said Wednesday morning he called Wolfson to congratulate him.
"I've known Steve a long time and I think he's wanting to express himself, and I know from what he told me, he's going to be a team player," Goodman said. "I'm looking forward to working with him. It's going to be a good council."
Wolfson said that he planned to maintain his law practice, but cut down on his work.
He also said that he planned to speak to City Attorney Brad Jerbic about any potential conflicts between his law practice and his position on council. For example, he said, he sometimes appears in Municipal Court, something he said likely would have to end.
Even as he answered questions and shook the hands of well-wishers, Wolfson's energy appeared to flag in the hours after the results became official.
He was, he said, "going home to kiss my wife again. Then I'll go to sleep."
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