GOP set to name new party leader

Wednesday, May 17, 2000 | 11:28 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Former state Treasurer Bob Seale appears to be a shoo-in to be chosen as the next chairman of the Nevada Republican Party, but there is a lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvering for the other top party jobs that are mainly ceremonial.

The state GOP convention opens in Carson City May 25 to elect party officers, choose delegates to the national Republican convention and to adopt a platform and resolutions. An estimated 450-500 delegates, alternates and guests are expected to attend the sessions that run through May 27.

And the pre-convention talk centers on the election of party officials -- state chairman, national committeeman and national committeewoman.

Seale, who served two terms as state treasurer, has emerged as the only candidate seeking to replace John Mason of Douglas County as party chairman. But Seale, a certified public accountant, has a condition. He wants to make sure the GOP is in the black.

Last year, the Republican Party was an estimated $350,000 in the hole, and there was pressure on Mason, a Douglas County lawyer, to resign.

Part of that pressure came from political advisers to Gov. Kenny Guinn. But Mason weathered the storm to complete his term. Seale said he has been given to understand the GOP is now more than $100,000 in the red. But he first wants to examine the books before putting himself up as a candidate.

Peter Ernaut, former chief of staff for Guinn and now a top campaign executive for Senate candidate John Ensign, said there's been a dramatic turnaround in the party finances. He said much of the credit is due to Ryan Erwin, the new executive director of the party. And there may be as much as $200,000 in the coffers.

Ernaut said the governor is supporting Seale "100 percent" but is staying out of the other contests.

Mason, despite his troubles, isn't going to fade away. He wants to be national committeeman to succeed Tom Wiesner of Las Vegas who is up for re-election. Committeewoman Barbara Vucanovich, who served in the House of Representatives, is not running for a second four-year term.

Those vying to succeed Vucanovich are her daughter former state Treasurer Patty Cafferata of Reno; Leah Roberts of Las Vegas and Beverly Willard of Douglas County.

Here's the rub. The committeeman and the committeewoman cannot come from the same county, according to the party bylaws. That means that Mason and Willard could not both be elected. And it means that Wiesner and Roberts could not serve as a team.

Traditionally the national committeeman election is held first followed by the selection of the committeewoman.

Mason has hit on a novel way to change the election. His critics say this shades the odds in his favor.

Under Mason's plan, the balloting would be conducted at the same time for committeeman and committeewoman. If both candidates from Las Vegas won the committeeman and committeewoman jobs, the one with the most votes of the two would be elected.

For example if Roberts and Wiesner both won their respective races and if Roberts got the higher vote tally, she would be elected. Wiesner would be disqualified, and Mason would get the committeeman's job by default.

Mason views that as the fairest way to conduct the election.

But Cafferata says, "This is very self serving of Mason." She said, "We have always elected the committeeman first and then the committeewoman." But she conceded Mason, as presiding officer of the convention, can set the agenda.

Cafferata, who served as national committeewoman from 1992 to 1996, said "Tom Wiesner has done a good job. There is no reason to vote him out of office."

Being national committeeman and national committeewoman are honorary jobs and require the person to spend thousands of dollars of his and her own money traveling to national meetings. But they do get to rub shoulders with party bigwigs in Washington, D.C. If Gov. George Bush wins the presidency, they will have access to White House functions.

The other party business at the convention that runs through Saturday calls for electing 17 delegates to the National Republican Convention in Philadelphia July 31-Aug. 5, approving bylaws and adopting a platform and resolutions.