Opponents in Senate, Assembly face tough challenges

Thursday, Aug. 27, 1998 | 11:38 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Sen. Jack Regan, D-North Las Vegas, a 10-year veteran of the Nevada Legislature who has tangled with his party leadership in the past, is facing a stiff challenge in the primary election from a woman who has strong backing from the unions.

The election also will provide the first test for Assemblywoman Genie Ohrenschall, D-Las Vegas, who was involved in a messy court hearing on charges of neglect of her daughter.

These are two highlights as voters select their party nominees on Sept. 1.

Regan, who served three terms in the Assembly before being elected to the Senate in 1994, says, "It's tough taking on the Culinary union," referring to its backing of his opponent Maggie Carlton, a waitress at a Strip hotel.

Carlton, a union shop steward, Sunday school teacher and Girl Scout leader, says she opposes nuclear waste in Nevada and proposes more stringent laws on guns in schools. Claude "Blackie" Evans, executive director of the Nevada AFL-CIO, says 1,000 members have been registered in Senate District 2 in Clark County to defeat Regan.

Recent surgery on Regan, 64, has forced him to cut back his campaigning and he says he can't go door-to-door this time, hoping the voters will understand.

Meanwhile, Ohrenschall, after a third term, says she hasn't encountered any voter backlash from the neglect charges leveled against her. "When the people bring it up, there's an expression of sympathy and they are glad I got my daughter back."

Ohrenschall faces fellow Democrats Judy Witt, an eight-year member of the Clark County School Board, and Kelvin Atkinson, a human resources analyst for Clark County who is in his first political race in Assembly District 12.

Here is a breakdown of the other contested races in the primary election:

Senate District 7: Terry Care, an attorney who is running on a platform of planned growth and improvement of the air quality, is going against Russell Davis, who works in the neighborhood liaison program for Clark County. Davis' priorities are education, neighborhood and the environment. Both are making their first run for public office in the Democratic primary.

Assembly District 4: Republicans Bob Beers, a certified public accountant, and Dennis Silvers, a radio talk show host, are pitted against each other in their first political race. Beers favors charter schools and restructuring of the Clark County School District. Silvers stresses growth, the infrastructure of Southern Nevada and senior citizen issues as his priorities.

Assembly District 7: Seven-term incumbent Morse Arberry, who is deputy director of neighborhood services for the city of Las Vegas, goes against Marion Bennett and Louise Banks in the Democratic primary election. Bennett, a former assemblyman, and Banks both ran against Arberry in 1996 and lost. Vying for the Republican nomination are Darryl Glover and Craig Moore.

Assembly District 13: Two-term incumbent Dennis Nolan, who works as a corporate safety director, is challenged in the Republican primary election by Robert Adams. Seeking the Democratic nomination are Bill Newman, a professor of management information systems at UNLV, and John Lowes.

Assembly District 15: Four Democrats are running for the nomination to succeed Republican Jack Close who is seeking a seat in the Senate. Vince Juaristi, a former aide to Gov. Bob Miller and now director of the Nevada Institute for Children in Las Vegas, is pitted against Kathy McClain, a senior management analyst for Clark County. Other Democrats are Travis McNevin and Raymond Stone.

Assembly District 16: A big field greets voters in this race with three Democrats and three Republicans seeking the nominations. Democrats are attorney Chuck Gardner, who wants growth to pay for itself; Joe Phillips, a professional boxer and casino dealer whose priorities are education and the elderly; and Kelly Thomas, a city planner for Las Vegas who is campaigning on an issue of sustainable growth. Republicans are retired naval officer John E. Kraft, who wants to restore the connection between voters and elected officials; attorney Leonard Root, who feels auto insurance premiums are too high; and self-employed Stefan Steel, who says there should be less taxes and smaller government.

Assembly District 18: Two-term incumbent Mark Manendo is challenged in the Democratic primary by Dave Brown, owner of Nellis Motors. Manendo is a recruiter for the Institutional Development Centre who wants to make sure the laws on handicapped parking are enforced and to improve the quality of education. Brown says he wants to stop unfair taxation and government waste.

Assembly District 20: Three Democrats are seeking the nomination to take on Republican incumbent Kathy Von Tobel. John Oceguera, a captain in the fire department, stresses education and assistance for the elderly. Bradley Smith, owner of a public relations company, wants new growth in his district to adhere to the master plan. Thomas Welsh, a professional driver, is concerned about the rapid growth in the Las Vegas Valley.

Assembly District 21: Three-term incumbent Sandra Tiffany goes against fellow Republican Rick Steinkamp in the primary. Tiffany supports higher curriculum standards in the public schools and retraining of teachers for the new standards. Steinkamp, an instructor in political science at the community college and UNLV, says Tiffany has lost her clout in the Legislature and he will be able to build coalitions.

Assembly District 25 (Washoe County): Three Republicans -- two of them from powerful political families -- are competing for the nomination. Former state Treasurer and Assemblywoman Patty Cafferata, is the daughter of former Congresswoman Barbara Vucanovich. Dawn Gibbons is the wife of Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev. She served in the Assembly for several months when her husband was in the Desert Storm war. The third Republican is casino manager Horace Lucido. The two top vote-getters go into the general election, unless one receives more than 50 percent in the primary election.

Assembly District 29 (Washoe County): Rebecca Wagner, 28, owner of a public relations firm in Reno, is one of three Republicans looking to succeed Joan Lambert who retired. Others in the race are Christopher Sewell, 34, a police officer for the school district and Sharron Angle. The top two will go into the general election, unless one gathers more than 50 percent in the primary.

Assembly District 32 (Washoe County): One-term incumbent Don Gustavson goes against Galen Mitchell, a retired state worker, in a rematch of the Republican primary election two years ago.

Assembly District 37 (Washoe, Carson City) -- Four Republicans have filed to replace retiring Peter Ernaut. They are attorney Gregory Brower, 34, who grew up in Las Vegas; John Reese, who has led a drive to shut down houses of prostitution; Riho Saffen, 59, who is retired and moved to Nevada four years ago from California; and Randi Thompson, 36, operator of a restaurant.

Assembly District 40 (Carson City) -- Larry Green, a real estate broker, is pitted against Karl Neathammer, a legal researcher, for the Republican nomination. This is the first try for elective office for both. The incumbent, Republican Mark Amodei, is running for the Senate.