Tarkanian to challenge Malone for seat

Adrienne Packer

Thursday, April 6, 2000 | 11:27 a.m.

Lois Tarkanian might not have the $600,000 that Clark County Commission incumbent Lance Malone has collected, but the ammunition she holds could be more valuable: name recognition and Malone's controversial casino vote.

Tarkanian, who for weeks has been mentioned as a possible opponent to Malone, said Wednesday she definitely will run for the District C seat in November.

"I'm in; I feel I can win the race," said Tarkanian, a member of the Clark County School Board. "I won't have as much money, but it's a district that I have represented."

Tarkanian said she hadn't seriously considered joining the race until Democrat George Tagliotti pulled out in February because of a lack of funds.

Tagliotti might not have foreseen the fallout from Malone's January vote in which he went back on his word and voted in favor of a casino in the Spring Valley neighborhood. Malone's decision infuriated campaign contributors and his smooth-running campaign has since been turbulent.

The toughest attack on his campaign occurred last month when fliers saying Malone is untrustworthy were delivered to his constituents in the northwest.

Tarkanian said she doesn't want to start an ugly campaign against the former Metro Police officer and declined to discuss his Spring Valley casino vote or any of Malone's other troubles other than to say: "I think we can do better."

Tarkanian, wife of former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian who now coaches at Fresno State, simply said she has received many supportive phone calls since she began publicly mulling over the idea and she has several potential contributors.

Aside from major contributors, Tarkanian said she intends to go about her campaign in the same manner that County Commissioner Myrna Williams ran her low-budget campaign.

"I'll do what Myrna Williams did, go out there and walk and walk and walk," Tarkanian said.

Tarkanian is working on her platform and said she will formally announce her intention to run for the commission toward the end of the week or early next week.

Adrienne Packer covers county government for the Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-2310 or by e-mail at adrienne@lasvegassun.com