Guinn’s chief of staff Ernaut may leave for Ensign camp

Monday, Dec. 6, 1999 | 11:16 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn is scheduled to make a "major announcement" later today, and it may be that his chief of staff, Pete Ernaut, is leaving the office.

Jack Finn, press secretary to Guinn, declined to reveal the contents of the announcement. But political sources who asked not to be identified said Ernaut is leaving to become a consultant for the senatorial campaign of John Ensign, former Republican congressman from Nevada. Ensign lost a close Senate race last year to incumbent Harry Reid.

Mike Slaker, campaign manager for Ensign, declined to comment. He said the announcement "is not my call."

Ernaut, 35, who earns $100,000 a year, could not be reached for comment. There was speculation earlier this year he would become head of the presidential campaign in Nevada for Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

Another political source said Ernaut has been "shopping around but not aggressively" to join outside companies. He was part owner of Bayer Brown Forsythe & Ernaut advertising-public relations agency. When he became chief of staff, he put his shares into a blind trust.

Ernaut, a former three-term assemblyman from Reno, was Guinn's campaign manager last year in his race for governor. Ernaut served as chairman of Guinn's transition team in the change of administrations from Gov. Bob Miller. He has been the chief of staff since Guinn took office.

He played a large part in lobbying Guinn's program through the 1999 Legislature.

He was on the staff of former Rep. Barbara Vucanovich, R-Nev., served as executive director of the Nevada Republican Assembly Caucus and was then elected to three terms in the Assembly. In the 1995 session he was the GOP majority leader when there was a 21-21 split between Democrats and Republicans.