Race may go down to who’s the least liberal

Adrienne Packer

Monday, Aug. 5, 2002 | 10:51 a.m.

Residents who grew accustomed to a Democratic commissioner representing their interests in southwest Clark County might see a shift in political philosophies for the first time in eight years.

Or will they?

Neither Tim Cory nor Mark James -- viewed as front-runners for the District F seat -- is a conventional Republican.

James, who surrendered his place in the state Senate to run for Erin Kenny's seat, is viewed as a more liberal Republican. He is pro-abortion and pushed for a moratorium on capital punishment until the process is studied.

Cory was a registered Democrat until August 2001. The attorney recently secured the endorsement of Nevada Concerned Citizens -- the organization lobbying in favor of Question 2, the initiative against same-sex marriages.

Steve Wark, chairman of the Clark County Republican Party, said Republican voters will show up at the polls looking for the candidate who is socially and economically conservative.

That candidate will have the advantage in the three-way primary that also includes Devin Smith, a facilities field supervisor for the city of Las Vegas.

But will voters find what they're looking for?

"I'm not going to comment on either one of their motives for doing what they're doing or what they may do," Wark said.

Wark rebuffed the idea that party lines ultimately don't matter on the County Commission because their policy decisions have little effect on social issues.

"They make decisions based on party lines all the time, whether they mean to or not," Wark said. "I think it's disingenuous to say they have no party line influence."

Political consultants agree that whoever emerges from the September primary will likely win the general election against Frank Boehnlein, a tour coordinator at the Gold Strike who is the only Democrat in the race.

"Whoever comes out of the primary will have a humongous advantage," said Kent Oram, a political consultant who represents James and assisted Kenny with her two successful races for the commission seat.

The party mix in the vast southwest changed significantly when district boundaries were rewritten last summer.

Prior to the reapportionment process, about 75,000 voters were registered; 32,000 were Democrats, 29,000 were Republicans and 14,000 were nonpartisan or independent.

Since district lines were redrawn, there are about 69,000 registered voters, 32,000 are Democrats, 26,000 are Republicans and 12,000 -- about 17 percent -- are nonpartisan or members of independent parties.

Jim Ferrence, a political consultant with Paladin Advertising, said the Democratic edge in the fast-growing region has grown, but the non-partisans and those in independent parties help the Republicans.

Ferrence said it is unusual for a district to be so loaded with nonpartisans.

"The number has gone up all around Nevada, but that is about four or five points higher than I expected to see," Ferrence said of Kenny's district. "It negates the Democratic edge."