Assembly District 1

Thursday, Aug. 15, 2002 | 7:18 a.m.

Incumbent Democrat Tom Collins faces a primary challenge and two Republicans are squaring off to try to take the North Las Vegas district seat from the Democrats.

Collins, 52, a journeyman electrical contractor, faces a Democratic primary opponent in Brent Howard, 45, a small-business employee.

Collins has served four terms in the Assembly starting in 1993 and then from 1997 to 2001. He is a strong union advocate who wants to continue to fight Yucca Mountain by establishing entry point inspections for truckers.

Howard's campaign keys are changing the Family Court, changing the meeting schedule of the Legislature and limiting waits at the Department of Motor Vehicles to 15 minutes.

On the Republican ticket, Arvid Schnackenberg, 73, is taking on Doug Opolka, a frequent candidate for elected offices.

Schnackenberg is past president of the Air Force Sergeants Association and is past squadron commander at Nellis Senior Civil Air Patrol. He supports merit pay for teachers, better control of school administration costs and negotiating for benefits for Yucca Mountain.

Opolka did not respond to requests for information.

The Republican and Democratic winners face Independent American candidate Peggie Williams in November's general election. Williams, 49, is a gifted specialist teacher.

Her platform includes reducing property and gasoline taxes; judicial reform and reforming the Clark County School District.