Heller runs for second term

Monday, March 16, 1998 | 11:37 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Secretary of State Dean Heller said today he would run for a second term, bypassing the chance to run for governor.

Heller, 37, said he had looked at entering the GOP primary to challenge front running Kenny Guinn and said it would have been an uphill battle. But he said it was "not insurmountable."

"That race is open," he said. The deciding factor was his family, Heller said.

"Campaigns are tough on the family and young children," he said. "I'm a father first. The personal considerations were first in my decision."

Heller, his wife, Lynne, and their four children live in Carson City.

Guinn has campaigned for more than a year and has raised $2.5 million. But Heller said that contest "could have been winnable."

Heller has been a champion of political campaign reform. This has put him at odds with some Republican leaders. He split with them when he advocated open primary elections and tough financial disclosure laws for politicians.

He and Democrat Gov. Bob Miller teamed up in the 1997 Legislature to push through a law to force political candidates to reveal more fully the money they receive. He said so far this has resulted in the disclosure of almost $5 million to candidates.

He said he's going to watch this campaign and see if there are any weaknesses in that law.

His next issue will be drafting another bill to update the public records law. Similar bills have lost in previous legislatures. "We came close last time. The bill got out of the Assembly," Heller said.

The public has a right to know what's contained in government records, Heller said.

Heller is the only one who has announced for the office.

A former two-term Assemblyman, Heller said he "wants to continue to make Nevada a business-friendly state." He said his office started a web page where the public can quickly access information about corporations.

And election information can be received from the "fax-back technology," where a person telephones in and can receive the data on their fax machine.

He said there has been an increase in the number of corporations who have filed to do business in Nevada and that has resulted in nearly $30 million being added to the state treasury.

"The office now returns about $6.50 to the state's treasury for each dollar spent," he said. "We plan to improve our service and increase that contribution during the next four years."

It hasn't been all smooth sailing for Heller's term. As he tried to make changes, a mini revolt occurred among some workers. And resident agents complained that Heller's office was not getting its work done as fast as in the past.

Those criticisms have quieted in the past few months.