Ernaut expected to be big help in vote-getting for Ensign

Tuesday, Dec. 7, 1999 | 10:27 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Peter Ernaut, who helped fashion Kenny Guinn's successful campaign for governor, is going to become a political consultant to Republican John Ensign, who, according to some polls, is already 20 percent ahead of his opponent in the race for the U.S. Senate.

Guinn announced Monday Ernaut, 35, is resigning from his $100,000-a-year job as chief of staff to return to his public relations agency, where his first client will be Ensign. Details of how much Ensign will pay for Ernaut's services have still not been worked out.

Guinn said Scott Scherer, 37, who has been general counsel to the governor, will succeed Ernaut. Scherer served two terms in the Assembly from Las Vegas and was an unsuccessful candidate for attorney general in 1998.

No one was named to succeed Scherer. The governor said Denice Miller, his senior policy advisor, and Victoria Soberinski, the operations manager of the office, "will pick up more responsibility until we get a replacement."

Ensign, a former two-term congressman from Las Vegas, told a press conference that Ernaut "brings a lot of experience" to his campaign staff. He said one of Ernaut's responsibilities will be grass roots organizing, which includes working with groups such as educators, Hispanics and veterans to get them to back his campaign.

Ensign, who said he has collected about $2 million of a campaign budget of $5 million, is reported to be 21 percent ahead of Democratic challenger Ed Bernstein in a recent political poll.

In 1998 Ensign lost to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., by 401 votes and then by 428 votes in the recount.

Ernaut, a former three-term assemblyman from Reno, is expected to be able to help Ensign in Washoe County, where Republicans have a 16,000-voter edge. Last year Ensign beat Reid by only about 2,000 votes in Washoe, despite the overwhelming voter registration margin.

Ensign also won in Carson City by about 1,500, a city where Republicans outnumber Democrats by 4,000 voters.

Ensign also said that he and Reid have "developed a great relationship" since the election. "We buried the hatchet a long time ago," he said.

Mike Slanker will remain as Ensign's campaign manager. Ernaut said he would also be in such facets of the campaign as direct mailing and message delivery.

Ernaut, part owner of Bayer Brown Forsythe & Ernaut advertising-public relations agency, placed his stock in a blind trust when he took over as chief of staff for Guinn. After his election, Guinn said he asked Ernaut to become his chief of staff for one year.

"He (Ernaut) has fulfilled his work. He has played an important role and he leaves on good terms," the governor said.

Ernaut said his year as chief of staff has "been the most profound and professional experience of my life." He said his job change "is a fantastic opportunity to go back to the private sector and fulfill my obligation to my family."

He and his wife, Wendy, are expecting their third son.

At the press conference in the governor's office were Guinn and his wife, Dema, Ensign, Slanker, Ernaut and his wife and state Republican Chairman John Mason.

Scherer served as a deputy attorney general for three years and then returned to private practice, serving as associate general counsel and executive director of corporate development for International Game Technology in Las Vegas. He graduated from Clark High School when he was 14. By 18, he had earned his bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University. He graduated from the University of Washington School of Law and at age 22 was admitted to practice law in Nevada.