Opinions mixed on Sen. Shaffer switching parties

Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2002 | 9:31 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Switching political parties in Nevada, as Sen. Ray Shaffer did Tuesday, is rare but not unheard of.

And there are mixed opinions about whether it helps the individual in his future political career.

When former Democrat Shaffer went to the Clark County Clerk's Office Tuesday to change his registration, he boosted the GOP majority in the state Senate to 13-8.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas said on "Face to Face With Jon Ralston" on Las Vegas ONETuesday that she was surprised by the shift, but Assemblyman Josh Griffin, R-Las Vegas, the new assistant minority leader in the lower house, said he saw it coming. "Is it a surprise?" he said. "Not really."

State Archivist Guy Rocha said it is not common for an incumbent to change parties.

It appears that those who have switched most often have moved from Democrat to Republican.

Bob Cashell, who was elected Reno mayor this year, won the lieutenant governor's race in 1982 as a Democrat. Less than a year after the election he switched to Republican but did not run for re-election.

The biggest defection in recent times, Rocha said, was made by James Santini, a Democratic congressman who ran for the U.S. Senate but was defeated in 1982 by fellow Democrat Sen. Howard Cannon. Santini then switched to Republican and in 1986 ran for Senate but was trounced by Democrat Harry Reid. Santini has not returned to Nevada politics.

State Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, served one term as a Democrat, then in 1986 changed when he ran for a second term. Assemblyman Lou Tooman of Las Vegas was a Democrat when he was first elected. But he has changed parties and has not been able to win as a Republican in his quest for a seat in the Legislature.

Townsend said he found people "very considerate" when he moved to Republican. He predicted Shaffer would not find any animosity from his colleagues in the Senate.

Gov. Kenny Guinn, who led a Republican sweep into state offices last week, said the switch will make a "big difference" in committee makeup. Republicans will have 5-2 majorities in three of the nine committees, instead of a 4-3 edge. Guinn said this would probably make it easier to get his program through committees.

Shaffer was not a hard-core party man, the governor said, adding Shaffer had an "open door" to listen to various proposals.

"I found him to be a very reasonable person long before I became governor. He was very supportive on school issues," he said.

"This must be devastating to Dina Titus," Guinn said of the Senate minority leader.

Assemblyman Tom Collins, D-North Las Vegas, said he thought it was "silly" for Shaffer to switch parties. He said Shaffer put his personal feeling about Titus above his concern for his district.

Collins, whose Assembly district includes a small part of Shaffer's Senate district, said the district is going to grow Democratic, not Republican, as Shaffer predicted Tuesday. The registration is 15,975 Democrat and 11,390 Republican.

Collins said there are a lot of starter homes and moderately priced houses being built and these will be mostly Democrat families.

Collins speculated that Shaffer did not intend to run again but Shaffer says he will be seeking another term.

"He cut any chances of him being re-elected," said Collins.

Titus said on "Face to Face" that Shaffer can expect the shift to cost him. Organized labor and other former supporters won't be there in the next election, she said.

She noted that the Democrats had supported Shaffer for years. "I'm his scapegoat," Titus said.

Rocha, a specialist in Nevada political history, said there has been a slow erosion in the Democratic Party. Democrats, except for moderates like former Govs. Grant Sawyer and Mike O'Callaghan, have been conservatives.

But now conservative Democrats instead are becoming Republicans, he said.