Political notebook: Titus has hopes of Senate majority

Erin Neff

Friday, May 17, 2002 | 9:35 a.m.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, isn't running for anything this year, but she finds herself in the political race of her career.

Democrats need to pick up three seats to take the majority in the state Senate and make her Majority Leader.

Titus is hyping Terry Lamuraglia's chances in Senate District 9 -- a seat two Republicans, Brian Scroggins and Dennis Nolan, will battle for in the primary. She is also excited by the prospects of Joe Carter, who is running against Republican incumbent Maurice Washington in District 2 in Sparks.

With that in mind, Titus pepped the delegates at the Nevada State Democratic Convention last weekend with a reminder of what separates her party from the Republicans.

"Our heroes are people like John F. Kennedy, not John Ashcroft," she said, referring to the former president and the current Attorney General.

"People like Eleanor Roosevelt, not Kay Bailey Hutchison," she added, referring to the former First Lady and the current Republican senator from Texas.

And lastly, she said: "People like Martin Luther King, not Maurice Washington."

Question of marriage

Think there's no difference between the nation's two major parties?

Look again then at Question 2 -- the measure seeking to amend the state Constitution to declare that marriage can only be between a man and a woman.

During its state convention last weekend, the Nevada Democratic Party passed a platform plank that "opposes vigorously the so-called Protection of Marriage Initiative."

State AFL-CIO leader Danny Thompson -- in the most rousing speech of the convention -- called the Republican Party's position on Question 2 a "real threat" to freedom.

After referring to Adolf Hitler's rise to power without anyone stopping to question some of his more extreme statements, Thompson mentioned that many GOP candidates are "marching lockstep with Question 2."

Thompson referenced the Ku Klux Klan and discussed the Clark County GOP's veer toward the right and the snubbing of popular Republican state Sen. Mark James, who failed to get his party's endorsement for re-election and later dropped out of the race.

Although county Republicans supported Question 2 in their platform, state GOP Chairman Bob Seale previously stated he would work to keep such a plank out of the state platform.

Seale made those remarks on "Face to Face With Jon Ralston." But now he appears to be ready to allow such a plank into the state platform.

In an era of so-called bipartisanship in the fight against Yucca and a Republican governor winning support from labor unions, Question 2 may offer the clearest difference between the parties.

Frankie Sue Who

Retiring Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa is still considered by Republicans one of the toughest opponents they could face in a statewide race because of her eight years in office and great name recognition throughout Nevada.

But that doesn't mean her own party knows her that well.

The agenda for the Nevada State Democratic Convention listed a 10:45 a.m. speech from "Frankie Sue Del Pappa."

Maybe organizers confused her two terms in office with the two Ps.

GOP gain voters

Republicans are obviously making headway in their recent voter registration efforts.

The secretary of state's office announced Thursday that Republicans have gained on Democrats for the second month in a row and now have a 7,290-voter edge statewide.

Republicans gained a slight advantage in the 3rd Congressional -- the new seat being sought by Republican Jon Porter and Democrat Dario Herrera. The GOP now has a 1,465-voter edge, up from the 1,278 edge registered in March.

The 1st Congressional District gives Democrats a 32,838 edge -- up slightly from the 32,772 Democrat advantage in March. That seat is held by Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., who is seeking re-election. Her GOP opponent is Lynette Boggs McDonald.

The Republican Party kept a 6,822 edge in the 2nd Congressional District, a seat held by Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev.

For the record