Kenny seen as major challenge for Republicans

Adrienne Packer

Monday, May 6, 2002 | 11:08 a.m.

Republican candidates angling for the Clark County Commission District F seat vow to represent all Southern Nevada residents and not only cater to special interest groups.

But that promise is not all they have in common. They also share perhaps the most challenging task of their political careers: unseating Erin Kenny.

Despite a turbulent term that included an ethics complaint, unpopular land use decisions and controversial ordinances, political experts say Kenny is one of few politicians who is essentially Teflon.

When election season rolls around, the community activists incensed by her decisions are overshadowed by a support base that includes developers, unions and the business community, political consultant Mike Sullivan said.

"I don't know anybody, literally, anybody who brings that dichotomy to the table," Sullivan, of Paladin Advertising, said. "I don't know, but for some reason they will all go to the wall for her."

Of the three commission races to be run this year, Kenny's has attracted the most candidates so far: public relations executive Esther Quisenberry, insurance agent Heidi Vasas and city employee Devin Smith.

Attorney Tim Cory announced his candidacy, but then said he won't make a final decision until the May 20 filing date. Filing begins today.

Democrat Rory Reid has no opponents and is expected to replace Dario Herrera, who is running for Congress. Myrna Williams faces perennial candidate Tony Badillo and perhaps former Las Vegas City Council candidate Nevada Stupak.

Kenny's opponents have pointed to a Kenny-sponsored ordinance residents say allows more billboards, one that forced car dealerships to close Sundays and another that would have banned drivers from using hand-held cellular phones.

They have also criticized the commissioner for favoring special interest groups. In 1999 she worked with unions to craft an ordinance that would keep "big box" stores out of the county. The ordinance appeared as Wal-Mart, a non-union company, announced plans to build a SuperCenter.

Kenny, who did not return messages for this story, might be supported by a wide-ranging business community, but she has also alienated a cross-section of residents, said Quisenberry, who added that she believes the incumbent's popularity is vastly overstated.

"Most of the residents have felt helpless, because they don't know how to work the system," Quisenberry said of Kenny's past victories. "By default she has gotten away with it. This year is different. She has alienated every sector of the district."

Steve Forsythe, of Forsythe, Francis, Ernaut and Associates, agrees Kenny's greatest foes are residents, but said there are probably not enough to oust her.

Kenny is unlikely to collapse into the pratfall that felled former colleague Lance Malone in 2000. Malone promised residents he would oppose a casino in their neighborhood, then approved the project at the last minute.

Forsythe said though Kenny's opinion isn't always popular, she never wavers.

"When people hear from Erin, what they hear they can count on; she'll go to the mat for them," Forsythe said.

Pockets of neighborhood activists loudly protested Kenny's votes to allow commercial projects in residential areas and her support of a neighborhood casino.

Kenny also appeared before the Nevada Ethics Commission after it was alleged she tried to persuade two men to break into the Clark County Government Center to dig up documents that would hurt colleague Mary Kincaid-Chauncey.

At the time incumbent Kincaid-Chauncey was in a tight race with Kenny's close friend for the District A seat. The ethics complaint was dismissed.

Sullivan believes Kenny's missteps are often forgotten when voters see the amenities residents cherish, like Desert Breeze Park and Community Center, which includes softball and soccer complexes and an indoor pool.

"Everybody in her district either loves her or hates her," Sullivan said. "The parks are out there. She does everything that is supposed to be done by an elected official."

The number of Republican candidates who said they will run swelled quickly after Kenny's controversial decisions, but the presence of several candidates might squelch their chances.

For a Republican to snag the District F seat, Forsythe said, a clear-cut victor must emerge from the primary race. With three candidates they could easily split up the Republican and anti-Kenny votes.

Quisenberry considered Cory her greatest challenge in the primary and said she was thrilled to hear he hadn't decided to run.

Quisenberry, who ran for Congress in 1998, believes she had an advantage over her opponents because she has better name recognition. Further, she questions whether her fellow Republicans have the courage to stick out a race with Kenny.

"Can they personally take a hit from somebody like Erin Kenny, who is notorious for underhanded campaigns?" Quisenberry said.

Noticeably absent from the list of candidates is a second Democrat. When asked what caliber of Democrat it would take to unseat Kenny, Sullivan was frank: "An insane Democrat; someone who has lost touch with reality. As a Democrat you need money or the union. If someone has both, you've got nothing."

Kenny's shrewd fund-raising ability -- she set the commission record of $1.2 million during her 1998 race -- doesn't frightened her opponents.

Smith shrugs off the money. He is encouraged by residents who tell him they are frustrated they never have their calls to Kenny's office returned. One of his priorities is to make the office more accessible.

"I'll have to work a lot harder and beat on a lot more doors and make a much deeper grass-roots effort," said Smith, the first Republican to announce he was in the race. "Her money makes it more difficult, but it doesn't make it impossible."

Kenny's success record falls back on her resiliency, and that is largely due to the fact that no matter how voters feel about Kenny, their sentiment is strong.

"You might have five out of 20 who don't like her, but the other 15 don't waffle; they do like her," Forsythe said. " She has a solid base of support, not a lot of fence-sitters. As an underdog, you want to go after fence-sitters. That's tough with her."