Assembly District 29

Thursday, Aug. 15, 2002 | 7:44 a.m.

Two primaries are on tap in newly created Assembly District 29, with five candidates vying to represent a growing part of Henderson.

Democrats Joseph Bifano and Stan Dreyfuss square off in the primaries, as do Republicans Josh Griffin and Michael Smith, while Independent American candidate Justin Ramsaier goes to the general election.

Bifano, 49, a security consultant and former Illinois law enforcement officer, is running on a platform supporting education, right-to-work laws, transportation programs and the economy. He is a member of the Regional Transportation Commission's Citizen's Committee for Older Americans with Disabilities.

Dreyfuss, 77, a retired businessman with experience ranging from plant management to union negotiations to purchasing, seeks to prioritize budget funds "to emphasize education needs" and provide affordable prescription drugs to seniors.

Griffin, 31, a small-business owner with a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Nevada, Reno, says he will work to ensure spending efficiencies are met before supporting any proposed taxes. He wants flexibility in health care policy to increase availability and lower costs.

Griffin is running on a platform of identifying more resources for classrooms to improve the quality of education. He was deputy campaign manager for Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn in 1998.

Smith and Ramsaler did not respond to requests for information.