Lineup of mayoral hopefuls grows

Erin Neff

Wednesday, Feb. 17, 1999 | 11:05 a.m.

With less than a week to go until Las Vegas mayoral hopefuls can file for the spring election, speculation abounds about whether some prominent residents will run and whether a city ordinance will be changed to help the political career of one candidate.

Mayor Jan Laverty Jones' decision last week not to seek a third term has opened the floodgates to theoretical opponents but has resulted in only two other candidates saying they will join the race.

City Councilman Arnie Adamsen threw his name into the race after Jones pulled out last Thursday. Under current city ordinance, he will have to resign his seat after the election, win or lose.

Under a bill sponsored by Jones, that city ordinance would be repealed. Without such an ordinance, a council member running for mayor would keep his seat even if he loses the election.

Adamsen said he would abstain from a vote on the bill.

Tuesday night, KNUU 970-AM host Frank LaSpina announced on the air that he will be running a clean campaign for mayor "to save the democratic process."

LaSpina, who buys the airtime for his show, said he will allow other mayoral candidates to share the airwaves with him in an exchange of ideas on issues, but not as an attack forum.

"This is not some media goof like Howard Stern in New York," LaSpina said. "I'm as serious as I can be. I'm in it to win."

Prominent criminal defense attorney Oscar Goodman and local developer Mark Fine said they are close to a final decision about running.

Goodman, recognized nationally for his defense of mob clients, said he is "still agonizing over the decision."

"It would be a radical departure for me," said Goodman, who has flirted with political office on the local and state level before. "But one thing is certain, I am not leaving the practice of law.

"I have the law in my blood," Goodman added.

Fine, who is known for spearheading development of both Green Valley and Summerlin, seems more likely to enter the race.

"I am moving in that direction," Fine said. "I've had a lot of meetings and have gotten good feedback.

"I'm kind of sizing all of that up right now," he added.

After Jones left the race, former County Commissioner Jay Bingham vaulted to front-runner position because of his name recognition and his early declaration that he would seek the mayor's job.

Former City Councilman Steve Miller and one-time Henderson Mayor Cruz Olague have also announced their candidacy for mayor.

The primary for the nonpartisan race is May 4. If no candidate earns 50 percent of the vote, there will be a run-off between the top two vote-getters during the June 8 general election.

Aaron Russo, who lost a bid for the GOP gubernatorial nomination last year, is also considering running.