Democrats on lookout for others to run for governor

Erin Neff

Thursday, April 25, 2002 | 11:13 a.m.

Matthew Dushoff doesn't consider himself arrogant and isn't apologizing to Democrats for his surprise decision to run for governor.

So the 36-year-old deputy attorney general was a little surprised by the lukewarm response from his party's leaders.

"Everybody tells you to get involved," Dushoff said. "Then I finally get involved and people say I'm arrogant."

Dushoff, who has run unsuccessfully for Henderson Municipal Court and Henderson Justice Court, said he jumped into the governor's race to fill a void and get out the Democratic message.

But state Democratic chairman Terry Care is still hoping a different candidate emerges to challenge Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn before the end of filing on May 20.

"I still don't know what he could do for fund-raising," Care said. "Running for governor is one of those things you explore. He first came to me about three weeks ago and none of the preliminary stuff that traditionally is explored happened in this case."

Care was as surprised as anyone when Dushoff grabbed the microphone and announced his candidacy April 13.

"I don't know what's going to happen between now and May 20," Care said.

Dushoff said he's been told by some that he has to pay his dues before running for governor.

"What dues?" Dushoff asks. "Is there a charge? Kenny Guinn wasn't an assemblyman or a senator. I checked with the Nevada Constitution, and the Constitution doesn't say you have to be chosen by the casinos or by four or five people."

Before Dushoff announced he was running, the Democrats were largely trying to ignore the candidacy of Barbara Scott, a grass-roots political organizer and former topless dancer from Northern Nevada.

Neither Scott nor Dushoff is considered the party's official candidate, and rumors still swirl about potential candidacies from Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, state Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus or attorney Ed Bernstein.

Care notes that then-Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones didn't announce she was running against Guinn in 1998 until the last day of filing.

"It would be nice if somebody emerges who has some money of their own," Titus said. "But Dushoff is an attorney and that sounds better than just having a stripper run."

Titus said she wanted Goodman to run months ago, when she said there was still a chance to raise enough money to match Guinn.

"I'd like to do it myself, but my longtime experience tells me I couldn't win if I got in this late," Titus said.

Titus said she would need a bare minimum of $1 million to run for governor, and since she believes there is a better chance that Democrats will regain control of the state Senate, she is instead concentrating on those efforts.

Dushoff, who is originally from Philadelphia, has worked in the Attorney General's office for nearly nine years. He is divorced and has a 2-year-old daughter, which he said makes education his top priority.

Dushoff said he will be able to raise some money to highlight the state's budget woes, education, Yucca Mountain, power issues and medical malpractice.

He supports raising the state's gaming tax and reviewing the business tax to increase revenue.

"I am not avoiding that," Dushoff said of raising taxes. "The governor promised new revenue streams. We have to look at it across the board."

Care described Dushoff as energetic and idealistic. But Dushoff isn't idealistic about his chances.

"If someone emerges, I would step aside," he said. "That's best for the party."