Berkley unopposed in primary election

Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2000 | 9:10 a.m.

The incumbent in the 1st Congressional District, Shelley Berkley, is running unopposed for re-election in the Democratic primary.

But three people are running for the right to challenge her from the Republican side.

The front-runner is state Sen. Jon Porter, R-Henderson. He received the party nod for a speech at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia.

He toed the party line in support of the party and presidential nominee Gov. George W. Bush, breaking with the platform only to oppose nuclear waste shipments and storage in Nevada.

His opposition did not win cheers from the Republican delegates, who backed a platform plank criticizing the Clinton administration for failing to designate Nevada as the nation's nuclear waste dumping site.

Porter's competitors in the Republican primary are Jim Blockey, 45, founder of the local chapter of the Christian Educators Association and a high school and college sports official, and Nancy Price, 58, a six-year former member of the Nevada Board of Regents, the policy making board over state universities and colleges.

Price agrees with the Republican line of lower taxes and family values but breaks with other Nevada Republicans to endorse a ban on betting on collegiate athletics.

Blockey, a political unknown, supports a traditional Nevada Republican line. He criticizes the other candidates for accepting financial support from "special-interest groups."

Blockey said he has phoned 15,000 to 20,000 potential voters in the last several months in his insurgent campaign.

Both Republicans and Democrats have said the contest for the Southern Nevada seat in Congress will be a key race in November. Berkley has taken some of Porter's potential ammunition away by voting for Republican-backed tax cuts, including the recent "marriage penalty" tax cut.

A handful of minor party candidates will appear on the general election ballot. Christopher Hansen, 45, is running on the Independent American ticket and favors abolishment of the U.S. Department of Education and Internal Revenue Service and withdrawal from the United Nations.

W.G. "Swannie" Swenson, 56, is running on the Citizens First ticket -- the statewide arm of the national Reform Party. He supports "Social Security reform, a strong military, lower taxes, states rights and improved education."

Charles Schneider is running on the Libertarian ticket.