Veteran Democrats booted in north

Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2002 | 9:05 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- It was a good day for the GOP in Northern Nevada Assembly races.

Republicans swept out three incumbent Democratic assemblywomen and captured three vacant Assembly seats that had been held by Democrats.

Republicans, after the Tuesday election, hold 11 of the 13 Assembly seats in Northern Nevada. That helps narrow the margin in the Assembly to 23 Democrats to 19 GOP. In 2001 Democrats had a 27-15 majority.

Eight-term Assemblywoman Vivian Freeman of Reno, five-termer Marcia deBraga of Fallon and first-termer Debbie Smith of Sparks -- all Democrats -- were defeated.

George Dini, who was trying to succeed his father, Joe Dini, in Assembly District 38 was beaten, meaning that for the first time since 1967, there won't be a Dini in the Legislature. The elder Dini retired after the last session.

In Assembly District 34 in Washoe County, Jason Geddes polled 52 percent to 48 percent for Freeman, whose husband died earlier this month.

Eureka County Commissioner Pete Goichoechea gathered 51.5 percent to defeat deBraga, who received 46.3 percent in District 35 that includes Eureka, Pershing, and White Pine counties and part of Churchill, Humboldt, Lander and Washoe counties.

In a battle between two incumbents in Assembly District 30, Republican Don Gustavson edged Debbie Smith by 31 votes with 50.1 percent to 49.8 percent for Smith in Sparks.

The only Democrats who survived in Northern Nevada were Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie of Reno and Assemblyman Bernie Anderson of Sparks. Republicans John Carpenter of Elko, John Marvel of Battle Mountain, Lynn Hettrick of Minden and Sharron Angle and Dawn Gibbons, both of Reno, all won re-election.

This means that Hettrick, who won his sixth term, will have a leg up in becoming minority leader of the GOP in the Assembly. There have been rumbling from Southern Nevada Republicans that they want to run the party in the lower house.

In Assembly District 36 in central Nevada, Democratic incumbent Roy Neighbors of Tonopah did not seek re-election. Republican Rod Sherer of Pahrump defeated Democrat Roy Mankins, also of Pahrump, 64.5 percent to 25.9 percent.

Assemblywoman Bonnie Parnell, D-Carson City, did not seek re-election in District 40. Republican Ron Knecht, an economist with the state Public Utilities Commission, captured the seat, defeating Democrat Stacie Wilke 50.8 percent to 46.2 percent.

Dini, a Democrat, lost to former Yerington Mayor Tom Grady, a Republican, 50.7 percent to 42.8 percent.

Marvel, first elected in 1978 and the senior GOP member in the Assembly, defeated fellow Republican Michael Weber 52.9 percent to 45.9 percent in District 32.