Columnist Jeff German: Lee ready to challenge Sheriff Keller in 1998 race

Thursday, Dec. 18, 1997 | 9:42 a.m.

ENDING WEEKS of speculation, auto dealer Chuck Lee says he's going to run against Sheriff Jerry Keller next year.

The 61-year-old Lee, a former Metro cop and assistant chief investigator in the district attorney's office, says he'll make a formal announcement in February.

"I feel this community has been very good to me over the last 30 years," says Lee, co-owner of Courtesy Oldsmobile since 1991. "I'm now in a position to give something back."

The race is nonpartisan, but party politics could come into play here. Lee has been active in Democratic circles. Keller is a Republican.

Lee, who quietly has been picking up support for his campaign the past several weeks, says he doesn't plan to use the sheriff's job as a "stepping stone" to higher office.

"If Jerry had done what he said he was going to do four years ago, I wouldn't be running," he says. "I get 15-20 phone calls a day from people asking me to run. People just don't feel safe anymore, and we need to do something about it."

Though facing discontent from some cops on the street, Keller's popularity rating with the voters (74 percent in one recent poll) is one of the highest of any elected official in Southern Nevada.

Keller is taking Lee's candidacy in stride.

"That's his choice," he says, reminding critics that he was elected in 1994 after emerging from a primary with 23 candidates.

Keller pledges to be "upfront and open" with the voters.

"Four years ago, I stayed on the issues," he says, "and I'll stay on the issues again."

He insists that he wants to remain focused on running the 3,100-member police department in the next several months and won't discuss his re-election plans until the spring.

When he's ready to campaign, Keller says, he'll look forward to pointing out his "record of leadership" at the helm of the department.

Lee, who spent 15 years at Metro -- the last 14 in the high-profile homicide bureau, says he knows it will be difficult raising cash against Keller.

"Given the present political climate, money is what drives the campaign," the auto dealer says. "We know going in that we won't be able to match Jerry dollar for dollar. But we'll be able to raise enough to get the job done."

Lee says he expects to contribute $100,000 of his own money into the race and already has the "main pieces" of his campaign in place.

His campaign managers, he says, will be Allan and Debbie Rose, who helped elect City Councilman Larry Brown this year.

Lee, who served under Bob Miller and Rex Bell in the DA's office for eight years, says it's too early to discuss the issues.

"There will be plenty of time down the road to talk about specifics," he says. "Believe me, I have some definite ideas from my 30 years in law enforcement as to what needs to be done, and you will get some very detailed proposals."

In the meantime, Lee's decision to run against Keller is giving the men and women of Metro plenty to talk about.

Democratic Party insiders say it's not going to happen, but rumors are flying that Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa may get back into the governor's race.

Del Papa dropped out in October after complaining about her inability to raise enough money to match the well-funded campaign of Republican Kenny Guinn.

She's been whining ever since.

Many of the people Del Papa had counted on for support -- including the Democratic Party's top fund-raising team -- are committed to Guinn.

As Democrats have struggled to field a candidate following Del Papa's withdrawal, talk of her returning to the race has escalated.

Some even have suggested a campaign to draft the attorney general.

One ranking Democrat, however, is convinced that Del Papa, though not discouraging the talk, isn't likely to become a candidate again.

Del Papa, the insider says, is making arrangements to return the $250,000 in contributions she collected during her brief stint in the race.

Still, her re-entry would make sense if Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren decides to challenge Guinn in the Republican primary.

Hammargren could soften up Guinn in the primary, giving the Democrats a better chance.

Del Papa, however, probably will face a primary challenge from state Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas.

Neal, who plans an anti-establishment campaign, would give the attorney general a run for her money.

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