Wednesday, April 15, 1998 | 10:11 a.m.
Clark County Commissioner Lorraine Hunt's bid for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor has the implied support of long-time friend Kenny Guinn, the front-runner for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
The implied endorsement from the Guinn camp came Tuesday night in the person of his deputy campaign manager, Terry Murphy, who mingled with the many well-wishers crammed into Hunt's headquarters at 5025 S. Eastern Ave. near her Bootlegger Italian restaurant.
"Certainly I wouldn't have be here if he wasn't supportive of somebody," said Murphy, wearing her Guinn campaign badge on the right lapel of her jacket and a Lorraine Hunt button on the left lapel.
Other well-wishers included County Commissioner Lance Malone, state Sen. Mark James and Assemblyman Dennis Nolan, along with a half-dozen county administrators.
Murphy, herself a former county administrator and personal friend of Hunt's, said she was at the open house on behalf of Guinn, who couldn't be there because he was campaigning in Northern Nevada.
"He supports her campaign," Murphy said. "He is not endorsing anybody, though, but he supports all strong Republicans like Lorraine, sure."
Murphy said Guinn was not "taking any sides until after the primary."
Not only does Guinn face a primary challenge from Hollywood producer Aaron Russo, Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren may decide to step into the race.
That is, if he doesn't run for Congress or re-election.
That would give Hunt another opponent besides former prostitute Jesse Winchester.
If that happens, Hunt said, "you will see the most anti-negative campaign in history."
But Hunt said Hammargren had assured her he would stay out of her race.
"He indicated to me he wasn't going to do this," Hunt said.
The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Rose McKinney-James in the November election. James is president and chief executive officer of the Corporation for Solar Technology and Renewable Resources based in Las Vegas. The nonprofit corporation is financed by a $3 million Department of Energy grant.
McKinney-James developed political contacts in Northern Nevada during her four years on the Public Service Commission and her two as director of the state Department of Business and Industry.
Hunt is a one-term commissioner, first elected in 1994. But she served on the state Commission on Tourism from 1986 to 1993, and her time on the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority predates her election to the County Commission.
Despite her state and county experience, Hunt is going to have to work on her name recognition, even in her own back yard. A recent Chamber of Commerce poll showed that 75 percent of the county voters polled either didn't know or didn't care about Hunt, while two-thirds of the remaining 25 percent gave her a favorable rating.
"They're going to have to learn (her name)," Hunt said. "I spent seven years on the commission on tourism. I think that gives me a lot of name recognition."
Hunt said she decided not to seek a second commission term because of the "opportunity of being able to do what I've been doing for the last 12 years with tourism and economic development."
Prior to announcing her intentions for state office, Hunt had raised at least $232,000 from people supporting her re-election.
Hunt said she has written letters giving those people an opportunity to ask for their money back.
"I wouldn't want anybody to give me money under false pretenses," Hunt said.
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