Columnist Jeff German: Regent Price eyeing Ensign’s House seat

Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997 | 10:43 a.m.

A BATTLE OF university regents may take place in next year's race for the 1st Congressional District.

Republican Nancy Price, regarded as a maverick, is putting out the word that she may challenge Democrat Shelley Berkley, one of her biggest adversaries on the 11-member Board of Regents.

Price already has tested the waters with GOP officials in Washington.

She wants to run in place of Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev., who's said to be gearing up to announce his campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Berkley, who hopes to have $400,000 in her campaign coffers by the end of December, has been running for Ensign's seat for more than a year.

The Democratic stalwart expects to get a big boost from President Clinton during his fund-raising visit here Friday to promote women in politics.

Price, the wife of Assemblyman Bob Price, D-Las Vegas, and Berkley aren't the best of friends. They have clashed time and again over university business. So have Price and other regents.

In April 1995, Berkley's fellow regents got so irritated with Price that they worked behind closed doors to censure her.

But the campaign backfired, leading to charges the regents violated the state's open meeting law when mapping out a strategy to punish Price.

A Berkley-Price race would be fun to watch.

But Price likely would have to make it out of a tough primary first.

The Republicans have a couple of other potential candidates, District Judge Don Chairez, a recent GOP convert, and Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren.

Chairez is said to be ready to jump in once Ensign indicates he's running for the Senate. Word is he's Ensign's favorite.

Hammargren also is weighing a bid for governor.

Ex-FBI Agent George Togliatti is considered a smart guy.

But he would have to be an idiot or a masochist to consider succeeding City Manager Larry Barton.

Answering to five bosses (the City Council members) is a nightmare for veteran bureaucrats, much less someone like Togliatti, who's never worked in such a political environment.

Just ask Barton, who was forced into early retirement after four years at the city's helm.

If Togliatti took the job, it almost certainly would spell an end to his promising political career. It's tough to run for public office after you've served as a bureaucrat for any length of time. The public hates bureaucrats.

Since leaving the FBI to oversee security and government relations for ITT Corp. casinos in Las Vegas, Togliatti has been courted to run for sheriff, the County Commission and the state Senate.

He's good friends with Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones.

But he could kiss all that goodbye if he enters the zany world of red tape and backstabbing at City Hall.

Think carefully, George. You're too smart to let your friends coax you into making a career move you'll come to regret.

Anyone seen Joe Ulrey?

The auto dealer who tried to go into the used car business with a suspected underworld figure seems to have dropped out of sight.

Ulrey dissolved his partnership with reputed Kansas City mob associate Peter Ribaste last month after county licensing investigators raised too many questions.

One of those bank-rolling the deal to buy Carriage Car III on South Decatur Boulevard was suspended Horseshoe Club executive Ted Binion, who has acknowledged loaning Ribaste $100,000.

The FBI has alleged that Ribaste, who stands trial on tax evasion charges in Kansas City next month, answers directly to K.C. mob bosses.

Ulrey withdrew his application to buy Carriage Car III rather than disclose intimate details about the deal at a County Commission meeting.

Since then, lawmen received word that Ulrey has not been seen. His lawyer, Mark Fiorentino, said late last week that he hasn't talked to the auto man since the commission meeting.

Ulrey also has quit his job as general manager at Carriage Car, and no one there has seen him, either.