Thursday, April 17, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Backstory: What the few who voted decided

By Michael Green

The municipal elections are far from over. Certainly, the analysis and recriminations continue. Let's pile on some more.

¥ Turnout was low. His opposition was nonexistent. His war chest could have choked a moose. He has made mistakes and accomplished less than many would like. But Mayor Oscar Goodman still received 86 percent of the vote, and the absence of anyone willing to take him on shows he may be the most popular politician Las Vegas ever has seen or will see. As popular and respected as some mayors have been--Oran Gragson served four terms, Bill Briare and Ernie Cragin three--they never cruised like this.

¥ Strangely enough, Goodman's supporters and critics can prove their point in Ward 1. Surprisingly, Councilman Michael McDonald ran second to little-known, little-financed Janet Moncrief. If Goodman is as bad as his critics think, why didn't a Moncrief pop up in his race? But if Goodman is so dominant, shouldn't his endorsement have helped McDonald? The answer is that Nevada politicians rarely have coattails--and if you doubt that, ask Gov. Kenny Guinn why he has trouble winning support from fellow Republicans who know their elections to the Legislature had nothing to do with his victory.

¥ Moncrief's success against McDonald may be due to residual displeasure with his ethics problems and doubts about whether he has turned over a new leaf. After all, his colleague Michael Mack went through the ethical wringer and still has troubles. A little-mentioned factor is that in 1999, when McDonald easily won a second term while the complaints and charges were fresher, his major opponent was ex-councilman and noted gadfly Steve Miller. Replacing one controversial councilman with another might have seemed unwise. Moncrief entered the race seemingly without baggage--and that's always the most dangerous candidate.

¥ The surprise in McDonald's race obscured the other council battles. In Ward 3, incumbent Gary Reese buried Fernando Romero. In 1999, Reese barely won. But with the significant Latino population, why didn't Romero do better? Reese ran a strong campaign, but are Latinos not voting (and if not, why should Latinos be different from the rest of the population?), or did Latinos feel Reese has done as well as any councilman could? Did Romero's longtime Strip connections hurt him--that he has walked with the big boys while Reese still runs a barber shop in the heart of the district? Clearly, being Hispanic doesn't automatically win Hispanic votes, as several candidates have learned.

¥ Incumbent Lawrence Weekly's defeat of Gene Collins in Ward 5 may signal a change in downtown and West Las Vegas politics. Weekly isn't exactly a newcomer, but Collins is a longtime resident with old connections (and the baggage that goes with them) that certainly didn't pay off in votes. Consider that Weekly's ward overlaps with Joe Neal's state Senate district. Neal almost lost in 2000 to Uri Clinton, who, like Weekly, was a fresher face. Nor did redistricting help Neal. It may mean nothing, but it may bear watching if Neal seeks re-election in 2004.

¥ While Abbi Silver had more money than the other candidates, a trend in countywide judicial races held up in the municipal spots: Women run well. Silver won the largest number in Las Vegas Department 6; the runner-up, Bill Henderson, had name recognition from previous judicial races. In Department 1, incumbent Toy Gregory led, but Denise McCurry finished second--not Matthew Harter, the noisiest of the three candidates.

¥ In North Las Vegas, longtime incumbent William Robinson won by about 500 votes over challenger Nelson Stone while Shari Buck cruised to a second term. Robinson traditionally has depended on large contributors and backers of County Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey, a former North Las Vegas councilwoman, while Buck is close to Mayor Michael Montandon--a protege of late Mayor Jim Seastrand, whom Kincaid often battled. The results may be worth watching to see if they reflect the evolution of North Las Vegas' image from a poorer, minority-based community to a more gentrified one.

¥ Boulder City and Mesquite voters may have sent messages. In Mesquite, Mayor Chuck Horne, a very conservative gadfly, lost. Voters may want more calm. In Boulder City, neither incumbent--Mayor Bob Ferraro and Councilman Bryan Nix--led the field. Both backed changes that brought more business growth than that community, which traditionally supports limited population growth, may have wanted.

¥ The best message from Boulder City and Mesquite was turnout: around half of the voting populace in each area voted. Is it because they are smaller towns where you might be embarrassed if someone notices you didn't vote? If you don't vote when you can, you shouldn't need help to feel embarrassed. Some speculate the war in Iraq held down turnout. The next time someone says those of us who question this war are unpatriotic, ask whether he voted. George W. Bush may be fighting for oil, religion and re-election, but the soldiers dying in Iraq are fighting for freedom. When we ignore one of those freedoms, what message do we send?