Carolyn Goodman, wife of Oscar Goodman, enters Las Vegas mayor race

By Dave Toplikar

Published Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011 | 9:54 a.m.

Updated Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011 | 5:06 p.m.

With her husband at her side, Carolyn Goodman filed Wednesday afternoon in the Las Vegas City Clerk's office for mayor, the post her colorful husband, Oscar, has held for nearly 12 years.

"I am going full force out," she said, promising to continue the vision her husband has toward redeveloping the downtown and bringing culture, medical facilities, research and professional sports to Las Vegas.

"I love this city and I have a passion for it. I am so excited about the rich redevelopment that is going on," she said. "This is just such an exciting time to keep going forward."

The announcement that she planned to file drew a packed room of reporters, photographers and videographers who watched as she completed paperwork and paid the $100 filing fee.

Carolyn Goodman, who retired in June as president of the Meadows School, the nonprofit private campus she founded in 1984, said she had been considering running for the past six to eight months.

As her husband's term was coming to a close, she began wondering who was going to take his vision forward. But her husband didn't think she would be the one to carry it on.

"This morning he woke up and he said, 'You know, I've really been thinking about it. And don't do it,'" Carolyn Goodman said.

"And I said, 'you know it's interesting. I thought about it all last night too. And I'm going to file.' And he looked over at me and said, 'You go for it, girl.'"

Sun columnist Jon Ralston reported Wednesday morning that Oscar Goodman walked into Councilman Steve Ross' office and told him that Carolyn will run because she was worried Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani would win the race.

Giunchigliani announced Wednesday morning at a Hispanics in Politics breakfast that she is running for mayor. Ross also is a candidate in the race.

Others in the race so far include Deborah Love, who filed this afternoon; Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown; Joe Falco, a retired car salesman; Katie Duncan, a west Las Vegas businesswoman; Marlene Rogoff, a real estate agent; Abdul H. Shabazz, a local businessman; Tim Gamble, an emergency medical technician; and Larry M. Jeppeson, a retired teacher; and Angel Vasquez.

Caroline Goodman admitted that her last name would give her an edge. She and her husband have lived in Las Vegas for 35 years.

"Everything that we are is largely Las Vegas," she said.

Asked if her campaign was like giving her husband another term in office, she said "I think that would be sort of cheating."

"Everybody that knows both of us would know that the reason we have this wonderful relationship is because we share, but we each have our own lives and our own brains and our own thoughts about how we do things," she said.

She said the city's growth and excitement "is the result of his vision and passion."

"I'm not that person at all," she said. "But I adore him and I think everything that he's done has been fabulous with the council and everybody else who has taken a shoulder in the city."

Carolyn Goodman said her vision is "to follow along and continue the momentum that has already been created in these past 12 years."

She said it would be difficult to run against friends.

"I think the voting public is smart," she said. "I know I never try to miss an opportunity to vote. I don't think that's going to be a difficulty. I respect them and I respect the job that they would each do."

She said she intends to keep pushing to bring Las Vegas great culture, great medical services, great research, great businesses and professional sports.

"I can't say that I have the same excitement and bravado and approach to everything that he does," she said. "And I keep trying to figure out how to take those showgirls with me ... I'm still working on that."

Carolyn Goodman said she would try to find an inventive way to make appearances with the showgirls "if I could figure out a nice way to do it," she said.

Asked if she would bring along Chippendale's dancers, she quickly said "No," getting laughs.

"How could I do this when I have this wonderful man here," she said, patting her husband, who laughed and said "How do you like that?"