Democratic Party in Nevada faces leadership change

Erin Neff

Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2002 | 11:14 a.m.

Nevada State Democratic Chairman Terry Care said Monday he will resign from his party position prior to next year's legislative session to concentrate on his role as a state senator.

Care, D-Las Vegas, has been conducting meetings with Democrats around the state in the wake of last month's election, considered a fiasco for his party. But he said his decision to step down prior to his term's expiration in late April was made only so that he can work unencumbered in the state Senate.

"I don't want to be saying something and voting some way and have someone say, 'Oh, is that the Democratic position?' " Care said. "I just want to do my job as a state legislator."

Care's resignation is the latest in a string of post-election departures of key Democratic officials.

State Party Executive Director Pam Egan's last day on the job was Friday. Egan, a Montana native, will remain in Nevada to work for the state AFL-CIO.

Communications Director Jeff Burbank left what was a temporary position shortly after the election. The party will also lose its voter registration administrator, Shweta Bhatnagar, at the end of the month when she moves to Washington to work on a master's degree in public administration at George Washington University.

Care has been talking with Democrats across the state about rebuilding the party after the November elections. In the general election, Republicans swept all six statewide offices, won the new congressional seat and made gains in the Legislature.

Mary Conelly, who serves as state director for U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is the current vice chairwoman of the state Democratic Party. Care said it is possible Conelly would simply be tapped to fill out the remainder of Care's term. It is also possible, he said, that the state Democratic Central Committee will hold a special election to replace him.

Care said he will remain chairman until the Legislature convenes Feb. 3 in Carson City.

In the weeks following the Nov. 5 election debacle, Democrats have held four informal meetings to rehash the election and determine ways to rebuild the party to avoid a similar result in 2004.

The state central committee also held one of its four regularly scheduled meetings earlier this month in Tonopah.

Care said Democratic candidates in Nevada suffered because of a national trend toward Republicans and the lack of a complete ticket for statewide office.

"We were big in voter registration, but people just didn't come out to vote," Care said.

At the start of the election year, Democrats trailed Republicans statewide by 11,000 voters. They closed the gap to 8,000 voters, but failed to pick up any of the state's six constitutional offices.

Democrats also failed in their bid to retake the majority in the state Senate and lost four seats in the Assembly to narrow their control to 23-19. Republicans won two of Nevada's congressional districts, including the new seat in the 3rd district, which went to newly elected Republican Jon Porter.

Care said the immediate priority for the party is finding an executive director. After that is accomplished the party must rebuild from the precinct level up, Care said.

"We have to make Democrats feel as though they really are appreciated," Care said.

Democratic volunteers were angered, at times, when party leaders failed to contact them about additional ways they could help or about additional work they could do.

Losing Democratic candidates expressed concerns about the way the party conducted its campaigns this year. Some Assembly and Senate candidates, for example, ran in districts that straddled two congressional districts.

"I've heard from more than one person that you can't have more than one coordinated campaign," Care said. "That's an oxymoron."

Since the party was coordinated by congressional district, some Senate and Assembly candidates said they got more exposure in one district over another, or complained that they slipped through the cracks in both.

Those who ran clubs or caucuses complained about the lack of message and the inability of the party to identify voters.

"There was some finger-pointing, but most of that was over within the first 48 hours," said Dan Hinkley, president and founder of the Stonewall Democratic Club of Las Vegas. "I think we're making progress now."

Hinkley said the party has created local ad-hoc committees to work on different trouble spots. Committees will work on message, targeting voters and organization.

Lindsey Jydstrup, director of the Democratic Legislative Caucus, said she was impressed at the level of discourse at the meetings she was able to attend.

"One thing that has really struck me is the commitment and enthusiasm and energy in the wake of what was a horrible election night," Jydstrup said. "Instead of people complaining a lot, you have this incredible energy."

Jydstrup said she thinks one key move Democrats should make is to start earlier.

"Preparing for the next election has got to be a continuous process," Jydstrup said.

Care said he plans to have one or two more meetings to let Democrats vent their frustrations and offer suggestions.

"I want everybody to see what the others are saying," Care said.

As for rumors about him thinking about running for Congress in 2004, "no way," Care said. "This is the first time I've ever gotten to see firsthand what people go through to run for Congress. "I don't have the time and I don't want to put my family through it," Care added. "It's just brutal." Care said that while it is "never too early to start" seeking candidates for the 3rd Congressional District, he reminded, "Porter hasn't even been sworn in yet."

Care said the search for an executive director has turned up about nine candidates, whom he declined to name. The state party has no specific regulation dealing with the search for a director, and he said he is uncertain how that process will proceed. Care also declined to identify any of the candidates.

One name bandied about is Mike Slater, the executive director of the Nevada Interfaith Council for Worker Justice, who made an unsuccessful bid for state Assembly District 13 this year.

Whomever is chosen will likely have to be approved by Reid. Reid had a hand in approving Egan and the previous executive director, Liz Carrasco.

Egan was on the job for eight months and Carrasco worked as director for less than a year before Egan.