Thursday, January 22, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

CAMPAIGN 2004: Name game

In County Commission District B, party won't matter as much as name and experience

By Andrew Kiraly

If there's one thing candidates for County Commission District B agree on, it's that current commish/flower vendor Mary Kincaid-Chauncey's grip on her seat is wilting fast. But in this race, any invitation to use Strip Club Granny as soapbox fodder is answered with early-race politesse.

"People I've talked to have said that the number one, great big question mark is they're worried that [Kincaid-Chauncey] isn't the same person they used to have confidence in," says Assemblywoman Vonne Chowning, a Democratic candidate for the commission seat. It doesn't really matter if she's guilty or not, Chowning points out. "Secondly, they're concerned that all of the legal entanglements will take up her time and take her away from being able to serve her constituents."

Says Democratic Assemblyman Tom Collins, who will face Chowning in the party primary: "It's up to voters to make that call [about Kincaid-Chauncey]. It's up to the media and the federal government and Mary. I don't have any say in that. I like Mary and I still buy flowers from her shop."

The race is rounded out by Republican candidate Shari Buck, a North Las Vegas councilwoman. Sure, District B has more active Democrats than Republicans (about 35,000 to 28,000), but some observe that numbers aren't the best tea leaves in this race. Buck points to the district's moderate political mood and a large base of about 12,000 active, nonpartisan voters. "I believe that having represented a majority of them in North Las Vegas, they know me and they know I'm a hard worker and a good representative," she says.

Smells like a sound bite, but there's some substance to it: This race will be less about partisan passion and more about name recognition and candidates selling voters on their record of public service. That's where things get interesting: All three candidates have deep North Las Vegas roots. Buck is in her second term as a North Las Vegas councilwoman; Chowning is a seven-term assemblywoman whose district overlaps commission District B, and who served plenty of time on the North Las Vegas Planning Commission. Same goes for Collins, who says his Assembly district is 95 percent inside commission District B. "I have a tremendous base already established," he says.

With what looks like a fairly level playing field--loads of name recognition in the district, and no pesky federal indictments--expect a propaganda-heavy race in which candidates tout their experience and pitch projects for the district.

Collins says he'll help the district play catch-up in terms of infrastructure. "There's so much potential in this district that has not been pursued," he says. "We've been left behind on so many projects. We were the last part of the valley to get the Beltway."

Chowning singles out safety. "Public safety is going to be one of my big targets," she says. "We definitely need more police and more firefighters." She also says residents deserve better treatment when it comes to zoning issues.

Buck says public safety and parks are high on her list, and that her close contact with constituents over the past five years gives her an edge. "County government is local government, so I'm going to be comfortable in dealing with the same issues."

But all things being equal--which, okay, they aren't--Chowning might have the trump card, says David Damore, assistant professor of political science at UNLV. "She's well-known among Democrats, and for Buck, [a County Commission seat] is a huge step up in the pecking order. I think it'd be an upset if Chowning didn't win." Add to that Chowning's comfort with Latino voters--"I consider myself bilingual and bicultural," she says--and the district's sizable Latino population might clinch the deal.

But surprises abound in politics. After all, who'd think a sweet little grandma-type flower peddler would be facing corruption charges? (As for her race, Commissioner Kincaid-Chauncey did not return phone calls).