Columnist Jeff German: Bryan a grandpa in 1999, Democrats may be bridesmaids in 2000

Thursday, March 25, 1999 | 11:52 a.m.

The first of three grandchildren on the way for Sen. Richard Bryan has arrived.

Conner Hudson Bryan, who weighed in at seven pounds, was born Tuesday night in Reno. Conner is the son of Richard Bryan Jr., a Reno cardiologist, and his wife, Karen.

We know now that the senator was serious last month when he opted against running for a third term in 2000 to spend more time with his growing family.

Bryan's second grandchild is expected by his daughter, Blair Butler, who lives in Rochester, N.Y., in about two weeks.

A third is coming in August from daughter Leslie Hart, a Reno lawyer.

The Democrats, meanwhile, might as well save themselves some money and turn over Bryan's Senate seat in 2000 to John Ensign and the Republicans.

Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, who was in Washington this week looking to shore up Democratic support for her expected bid, appears to be the best candidate Democrats can rustle up.

Bryan and his Democratic colleague, Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, now appear to be rallying around Del Papa, who was forced to bow out of the governor's race last year after she had trouble raising money on the Strip.

This may signal tough times ahead for the Democrats in the race.

Del Papa, who's in the dog house with organized labor, has much political baggage that Ensign, the only announced Republican candidate, will be able to exploit with his political muscle. Ensign's adoptive father, Mike Ensign, runs Circus Circus Enterprises, the largest casino company in Nevada.

GOP strategists, I'm told, can't wait for Del Papa to declare her intentions to run.

Right now, it seems as though no amount of fence-mending on Del Papa's part will be able to resolve bitter differences between the attorney general and the Culinary Union, the largest and most politically active local in the Nevada AFL-CIO.

Labor's intense grass-roots campaigning, led by the Culinary Union, generally is credited with putting Reid over the top in his narrow defeat of Ensign in November.

Even if Del Papa smooths things over with union leaders, it's unlikely they'll take to the streets for her in 2000 the way they did for Reid.

And if the Republicans take the seat, it will be very embarrassing to Reid, the Senate's Democratic whip.

It's true that Del Papa has demonstrated that she's a tough campaigner, and she is popular in Northern Nevada, where Ensign is weak.

But she also has a record to attack and some embarrassing moments during her tenure that should excite Ensign's opposition research team. There are lots of former employees in her office who would love another chance to try to derail her political career.

One potential obstacle for Del Papa is the controversy over a reported secret probe she conducted out of spite against popular former Gaming Control Board Chairman Bill Bible, who is close to Bryan and Reid.

The two senators will have a tough time defending Del Papa in that case, which should be heating up soon.

With Del Papa in the race, Ensign also can expect much help from the political machine of Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn, who has tangled with the attorney general at the beginning of his administration.

Guinn strategists don't think very highly of Del Papa.

Of course, it's still early and other candidates, even Republicans like Rep. Jim Gibbons, might surface to challenge Ensign.

But for the time being, you've got to like Ensign's chances in 2000.

The brouhaha over funding inequities between UNLV and the University of Nevada, Reno may end up costing Chancellor Richard Jarvis his job.

Word is Jarvis, who oversees the entire university system, may not have the confidence of the majority of the Board of Regents.

Bets are being taken over whether he'll last through the summer.