Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
John Chachas gives his closing statement Friday during a Republican debate sponsored by conservative talk radio station KDWN.
Monday, May 3, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Sun archives
- John Chachas brings Wall Street outlook to Senate campaign (4-25-2010)
- Republican Senate hopeful John Chachas in D.C. (3-17-2010)
- Harry Reid calls on opponents to denounce ‘sleaze’ ad (3-15-2010)
- Harry Reid takes on Sue Lowden early, hoping labor is listening (3-14-2010)
- Harry Reid makes campaign official, says ‘much work to be done’ (3-8-2010)
- Sue Lowden files for U.S. Senate seat to battle Harry Reid (3-1-2010)
Sun Coverage
There was a curious anecdote in a recent Las Vegas Review-Journal profile of U.S. Senate candidate John Chachas, a Republican from Ely.
Chachas, the story relates, is stopped for speeding on State Route 318 between Las Vegas and Ely.
His speed: 104 mph.
“Are you the guy on the billboards?” the Nevada Highway Patrol trooper says, referring to the Chachas ad campaign.
“Yeah, that’s me,” Chachas responds. The trooper then lets him go with a warning.
A warning — 104.
For anyone who has been ticketed going 35 in 25 mph zone through one of Nevada’s rural towns, this might be a tad irritating.
But Nevada Highway Patrol troopers have “considerable discretion” in these matters, Trooper Joseph Fackrell says.
“Personally, I would have given him a ticket, but that’s me, not the officer that pulled him over,” he says, noting the wide-open roads in many areas of rural Nevada.
Fackrell’s attempt to find the unidentified trooper for the Sun was fruitless.
Perhaps it’s appropriate that Chachas would represent Nevada, with its proud tradition of libertarianism.
One old-timer recalled former legislator Bob Price, a gleeful speeder who got a law passed giving drivers two free speeding tickets.
No surprise here: Auto safety advocates aren’t thrilled.
“That’s clearly an egregious use of speed,” says Michael Geeser of AAA Nevada.
“Toying with danger,” is how Judie Stone, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, puts it.
For his part, Chachas was good-natured, answering an e-mail asking whether he always drives that fast.
“It was a rental. New car. Never been in it before. Came flying over a hill rather quick.”
Evidently.
“Usually, I’m right at 55,” he says.
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