Hammargren, not out of office yet, says he’s treated as has-been

Monday, Nov. 23, 1998 | 2:25 a.m.

After losing a bid for governor, Hammargren, 60, has gone back to work as a neurosurgeon, building up his practice.

During the campaign, his income dropped to the $20,000 salary paid to the lieutenant governor, plus his wife Sandy's income as a nurse.

Hammargren isn't saying what he might do next in Nevada politics - and for that he's paying a price.

"If you tell them you don't know, they're disappointed. It turns people off instantly," Hammargren said. "I'm already a has-been."

Hammargren believes that if he followed GOP advice to run for Congress, "I probably could have won the congressional seat. The Republican Party was more than a little miffed when I ran against Kenny Guinn."

He ended up hurting his own chances in the September primary by saying he might withdraw from the gubernatorial race, then staying in. He ran third behind Guinn and movie producer Aaron Russo, getting just 10 percent of the votes.

"Sure, I could have won the congressional race, but I chose to go for the bigger win," he said. "My cocky ego says, 'What would Teddy Roosevelt do?' You go for it."

Hammargren would have been better known to Nevadans statewide than former District Judge Don Chairez, who became the GOP's nominee for the House.

The thing he'll miss most by not being lieutenant governor is not traveling in the rural areas where he saw real people, Hammargren said.

"That's been the reward," he said.

The downside, he said, was that his ideas were blocked by the establishment, so he couldn't make the advances he wanted to in economic development.

He couldn't win support for his concept of a celebration of 100 years of movies in Nevada or 100 years of boxing. And he was unable the budget for international development.

His advice to Clark County Commissioner Hunt when she takes over his job?

"To continue her plans for economic development and economic diversification and international business. Even if she's not lucky in the first Legislature, she can build the groundwork for the second one."