Political notebook: Congressional candidate does some spring cleaning

Erin Neff

Friday, April 26, 2002 | 9:50 a.m.

Congressional candidate Lynette Boggs McDonald cleaned house at her campaign headquarters this week, firing the man she once hyped as the best person to lead her bid and letting go a chief fund-raiser and spokeswoman.

Boggs McDonald, a Republican running against Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said she needs people around her who share her energy and vision.

"It was time to shift new gears and crank things up," Boggs McDonald said.

The Las Vegas city councilwoman said she considers herself a perfectionist and felt that her campaign needed new blood. She declined to say what her campaign staff did that led her to send them packing.

Boggs McDonald fired campaign manager Tim Mooney, a nationally respected Republican campaign consultant from Phoenix, and Stephanie Hughes, her chief fund-raiser. Julie Walburn, who had served as deputy campaign manager, left in March to work on Brian Sandoval's campaign for attorney general.

Berkley has raised more than $1.2 million for her re-election bid in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans by 35,578. Boggs McDonald had raised $413,404 as of March 31 and has $156,045 left in the bank compared to Berkley's $838,810.

Representatives of the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Committee spent the week in Las Vegas bouncing between GOP campaign offices and offering Boggs McDonald help in finding a new team.

"Right now, I have to focus on fund-raising," she said. "They'll help sort through the resumes and narrow the universe down."

The NRCC's Andrea Horton spent part of the week at Boggs McDonald's campaign headquarters, but forwarded a call to the party's public relations staff in Washington, D.C.

"We're going to try to work with her to get the best people in there," NRCC spokesman Carl Forti said, pledging continued national party support. "She needs to put the campaign house in order before we move forward."

Parks faces 'Dem?' challenge

The press release announcing Paul Kelly's campaign for David Parks' Assembly seat sounded like it came from a right-wing homophobe and not a fellow Democrat.

Kelly will face Parks in the Democratic primary. In his opening salvo, Kelly criticized Parks, the only openly gay state legislator, for allegedly favoring a small section of Assembly District 41 -- the section with gay-owned businesses, which Kelly's release notes with a capital G.

Kelly notes that he is Roman Catholic and claims the "majority of the district is Catholic, not gay."

Although Kelly is a Democrat, he hasn't been one for long, changing his registration from the Republican Party on Aug. 23, 2001.

What's in a name?

Clark County Public Administrator Jared Shafer had come to terms with his decision not to seek re-election until people started questioning why he was still campaigning.

Problem is, he's not, but Schaefer is.

Shafer thinks the signs disbarred attorney Michael Schaefer is using are meant to confuse. The signs say: "Protecting Those In Need SCHAEFER for public administrator."

"It's frustrating," Shafer said. "He's just trying to cheat the public by making it look like it's me."

Schaefer has run for office more than a dozen times unsuccessfully in both California and Nevada, including bids for Congress in Nevada and California, and campaigning for San Francisco district attorney. He was elected to the San Diego City Council for two terms in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

He was disbarred by the Nevada Supreme Court in June 2001 for a pattern of misconduct.

Shafer said Schaefer tried to confuse voters in the past by using the same odd color combination (brown and orange) that the elected public administrator used.

"He trades on misdirection," Shafer said.

The public administrator's office settles the estates of people who die without family members willing to administer the estate, and for people who die without wills.

Schaefer said he only put his last name on his signs because he wanted his name as large as possible, and that adding his first name would have shrunken the size.

"I'm not trying to tell people I'm Jared Shafer," Schaefer said.

Shafer isn't too concerned that voters will be confused, but still plans to support a different candidate, "so the office stays in good hands."

Shafer said he is endorsing Dan Ahlstrom, chief of the bad check unit in the Clark County District attorney's office, for the position.

Ahlstrom should be careful though -- his name does have an S, H, A and R.

It ain't over 'til ...

The fat lady sang Thursday in the race for Nevada governor as Kenny Guinn picked up the final possible endorsement any Democratic opponent could hope for.

The Nevada State Education Association Board of Directors voted to endorse the incumbent Republican in his re-election bid. That's the teachers' union -- you know, the one that is desperate for more education funding and is urging tax hikes that Guinn has carefully avoided.

"Gov. Guinn maintains education is his 'number one, super priority' for the 2003 Legislative Session," a press release from the union states.

Glad it wasn't his super priority in 2001.

Brown vs. Hunt?

A former pro pitcher is apparently interested in pitching the state to tourists and businesses.

Las Vegas City Councilman Larry Brown has twice talked to fellow Democrat and political ally Mayor Oscar Goodman about running for lieutenant governor against Republican incumbent Lorraine Hunt.

In an interview Thursday, Brown said he plans to make his decision over the weekend.

Goodman said Thursday he has told Brown how important the position is to luring businesses to the city and promoting its tourism.

Brown, a Harvard grad who pitched for the former Las Vegas Stars, could also complete an Ivy league, sports-addicted Democratic ticket with the basketball betting University of Pennsylvania mayor, who loves the idea of running for governor only a little less than he loves being the mayor.

Dem enters Senate race

Las Vegas pool contractor Edward Portello announced a campaign for the state Senate District 8 race this week.

Portello is running for the seat vacated by Republican Mark James. Assemblywoman Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, and local attorney Tom Christensen are running for the seat on the GOP side.

For the record

The Charleston Neighborhood Preservation group will host a forum for District Court candidate's on May 8 at 7:10 p.m. at the Sahara Library, Sahara Avenue at Grand Canyon Drive.