Neal-Clinton race pushed for general

Jace Radke

Monday, Sept. 25, 2000 | 11:43 a.m.

Sun reporter Adrienne Packer contributed to this report.

The Rev. Chester Richardson is busy running an Assembly campaign against incumbent Democrat Morse Arberry Jr., but that doesn't mean he doesn't want a say in who will be the next state senator representing his district.

Richardson, a Republican, has filed a petition with the state Supreme Court asking that the names of both state Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, and his Democratic primary challenger, Uri Clinton, be placed on the Nov. 7 ballot.

"This has nothing to do with the candidates, and really isn't complicated at all," Richardson said. "Because of an unconstitutional law, all of the registered Republicans and nonpartisan voters in state Senate District 4 are being disenfranchised in this election."

As it stands now, Richardson is one of 4,582 Republican voters who will not be able to cast a ballot in District 4 after incumbent Neal garnered more than 50 percent of the votes in his primary election against Clinton and Chris Montanez. A group of 2,343 registered nonpartisans also will be without a vote.

Neal's name will be the only one on the general election ballot because of a 1997 law that allows a candidate in a partisan race who receives more than 50 percent of the primary vote to take the seat outright if no independent or other party candidates are running. No primary is held if only two candidates are running.

Neither Neal nor Clinton is pleased with Richardson's involvement in their race.

Clinton said since voters chose Neal during the primary race, he has taken down his signs and is looking forward to moving ahead with his law practice. He said if Richardson had a problem with a race dominated by Democrats, he should have nominated a Republican.

"I'm not happy. This is a way for Richardson to gain publicity," Clinton said. "I don't understand why the Republicans want to cry. If they had a problem finding candidates, that's not our problem."

Neal believes Richardson's action was driven by the Luxor hotel-casino, where Richardson works. Neal said the Luxor has been one of the more outspoken resorts against him.

"This is aggravating in a sense that it's prolonging something that doesn't need to be prolonged," Neal said. "I don't see where this should even be a case where the Supreme Court should take its time from other serious cases to entertain."

Richardson points to the Assembly race in District 6, where two Democrats will face off in the general election, and questions why the same can't happen with the Senate race.

In District 6 only Assemblyman Wendell Williams and fellow Democrat Harvey Munford filed, but because there are only two candidates, and not three or more as in the case of the Neal's Senate seat, both Williams and Munford move on to the general election.

Richardson says his lawsuit is not being filed to hurt Neal or help Clinton, but is simply about the voters in District 4 getting a chance to choose their next senator.

"We just want to be able to make a choice," Richardson said. "Just because the Republicans don't have a viable candidate in an election doesn't mean that we should lose the chance to make a choice."