Who is Byron Georgiou and why should he scare the Democratic establishment?

Monday, March 28, 2011 | 1:43 p.m.

Some Democrats hope he will just go away so he doesn't ruin their chances to defeat Rep. Dean Heller in the U.S. Senate race. Others believe he will leave of his own accord when he sees the support isn't there. But Byron Georgiou, self-made millionaire and the only Democrat so far in the race, says he isn't going anywhere. He believes he is the best candidate to defeat Heller, the only one without a record in public life (votes or actions) to assail. He believes his resume -- I'll get to that in a moment -- and his life story make him the best candidate.

Among those who disagree are Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Ah, details.

Georgiou has made assertions of national support but has yet to back them up. But he clearly is not afraid to take on Democrats in primaries as he showed in (failed) congressional runs in California in the early 1990s, including one for the 49th District, the seat now held by Darrel Issa. Georgiou, even though he denies it, is reported to have said he plans to spend $5 million to $7 million of his own money to try to win the seat. If so, he is immediately viable. But all usual caveats with rich folks who sometimes get cheap once they get in.

Georgiou has told me he won't step aside even if Rep. Shelley Berkley gets in -- or any of the constitutional officers, if Berkley takes a pass.

He was campaigning at the state Democratic Party and Washoe Democratic Party meetings this weekend in Reno, handing out the flier I have posted at right. He has an impressive resume -- Harvard Law School, Enron litigation, Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (Reid got him appointed, so he has no one to blame but himself). The story of his life is extensively told in that flier. We even get to know how many countries he has been to (more than 50!).

I don't underestimate his resolve, even though he seems to not quite understand what will happen if one of the established pols get in the race -- he will have no friends. But, for now, he is the best thing that could happen to Dean Heller, unless none of the elected officials get in or Reid can get him out of the race he says he is determined to win.