Nevada GOP leader seeks more action

Thursday, March 28, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Charles Muth is tired of being a stagehand and wants to move into the spotlight.

The Nevada Republican Party executive director will resign from his $40,000-a-year job effective April 12. He is contemplating a run against state Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas.

Muth has had the post since September but said he has lost enthusiasm for the phone calls, letter writing and other chores required of the executive director.

"The day-to-day grind of running the operation is not what I wanted to do," Muth said. "My abilities and talents are more in marketing and communications."

GOP Chairman John Mason of Zephyr Cove said Muth played a key role last year in helping Nevada Republicans overtake Democrats in registration for the first time in 60 years. Republican have an advantage of about 4,000 voters.

Mason also praised Muth for equipping the party with state-of-the-art computers.

"Chuck has been a brilliant executive director," Mason said. "He plans to get more directly involved in campaigns, which he couldn't do as executive director."

Muth said he will decide by May, when the Republican state convention convenes in Reno, whether to challenge Titus, a UNLV political science professor who has represented Senate District 7 since 1988. Candidates have until June 4 to file.

"Chuck Muth is a very formidable individual," Mason said. "He's an excellent public speaker."

Although there are about 7,000 more registered Democrats in the district, Muth said he thinks a Republican can win. He noted that GOP Sen. Kathy Augustine won the district's other seat in 1994.

"I knew mine was a targeted seat," Titus said. "They'd love to take me out. But I don't see it as a vulnerable seat. For one thing, I don't think you'll see the Republican tsunami that swept them into office in 1994."

Mason said he has three replacements in mind for Muth, all from Las Vegas, but that he will not name a director until Muth resigns in mid-April.

Muth