Election failures have Democrats assessing future

Erin Neff

Friday, Nov. 15, 2002 | 5:53 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION November 17, 2002

Democrats reeling from Nov. 5 election losses are finding bittersweet solace in one of life's truisms.

"When you're down you have nowhere else to go but up."

That's former Democratic Gov. Bob Miller's assessment of the future after Democrats lost all six statewide offices and Nevada's new congressional district, nearly lost control of the Assembly, failed to pick up any seats in the state Senate and even saw one senator defect after the election.

Democratic leaders and activists agree their party will rise again, but they are also venting frustrations as they examine what went so woefully wrong this year.

"Certainly, it's a wake-up call," Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said.

Assembly Democrats watched their 27-15 lead dwindle to 23-19. And they were stunned at the post-election analysis that showed them keeping control of the chamber thanks to the mere 342 votes separating Democratic winners from Republican opponents in two races.

"There was a huge lack of message, structure and leadership from top to bottom," said Andres Ramirez, a Democratic activist who ran unsuccessfully in the primary for a Board of Regents seat.

Ramirez and others bemoaned a lack of coordination within the party, which ran separate campaigns for each of the three congressional districts and the other candidates residing within those districts.

"There was no coordination," said Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, who failed in her bid to wrest control from the GOP and its 12-9 majority. Last Tuesday she watched a caucus member defect to give the Republicans a 13-8 lead.

Dan Hinkley, chairman of the gay and lesbian Stonewall Democratic Club of Las Vegas, called the election losses a "shellacking."

"In some ways, we had it coming," Hinkley said. "We didn't have a message, and our leading candidates were on the wrong side of the leading issues."

Other blamed the lack of a race for governor and the crushing support for President Bush's war on terrorism nationwide for drowning out the Democratic attempts to discuss the economy.

Without a message and an official gubernatorial candidate, the party had trouble recruiting other candidates and ultimately gave its base no reason to turn out and vote.

"We just need to regroup," said Rory Reid, former state Democratic Party chairman and Clark County commissioner-elect.

Current Democratic Party Chairman Terry Care has been fielding calls since Election Day from those offering suggestions from within.

"We've got to learn from this," Care said. "We can't rebuild until we've fully digested what's happened."

Retiring Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, who has been in office for 12 years, said she and other Democratic leaders are "committed to rebuilding the party."

"Ultimately this election cycle, although it may be a little debilitating in the short run, will be energizing in the long run because we will learn how to do things better," Del Papa said.

Chris Wicker, Washoe County Democratic Party chairman, said he thought the party fielded a few good statewide candidates in John Hunt, Erin Kenny and John Lee -- who ran unsuccessfully for attorney general, lieutenant governor and controller, respectively.

"But the last few elections Democrats have had their candidates get into the race at the last minute and fall way behind in fund-raising," Wicker said.

A number of Democratic activists point to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the party's de facto leader in Nevada.

"I'm disillusioned with Democrats nationwide who signed on to George Bush's war in the Middle East," Hinkley said. "It was silly and stupid. I'm disillusioned with Dick Gephardt and Tom Daschle and with Harry Reid, too."

Some elected Democratic officials privately are blaming Reid for the losses, saying he ordered people to do things for the good of a party in disarray.

"He doesn't ask," one leader said, asking not to be named. "He orders things for the party and there is no Democratic Party. There's just a bunch of individuals who say they're the party."

Reid said that while he thinks "the party itself is in need of repair, I think we can do that without a lot of heavy lifting."

He also took credit for fielding candidates for statewide races.

"What would have happened if it weren't for me?" Reid said. "Had I not worked to get some candidates to run, it would have been a one-party election. Is that better? I don't think so."

Richard Bryan, former Democratic governor and U.S. senator, defended Reid for the same reason.

"There was a dearth of candidates, and Sen. Reid worked to find them," Bryan said. "All of us need to a do better job, but without his efforts there might not have been any races at all."

Democratic leaders say they think they can rebound from what former lieutenant governor candidate Rose McKinney James calls the worst night for Democrats in more than two decades.

First they look to Reid.

Perkins said that while he doesn't fault Reid for any of this year's problems, he believes the senator has work to do.

"Does he need to shore some things up? Absolutely," Perkins said.

Titus said Democrats will automatically rebound in 2004 because Reid will be at the top of the ticket.

Eric Herzik, a University of Nevada, Reno political science professor, agreed that Reid will make a difference in the 2004 election. However, he said, Democrats should focus on the 3rd Congressional District.

"The (Jon) Porter race is going to be key because it is not a safe district by any means," Herzik said. "The conventional wisdom is that you get these guys early or you're not going to get them at all."

Herzik said Democrats should begin grooming candidates now to run against Porter -- the Republican recently elected to Nevada's new congressional district -- and for other offices.

Titus said the party is already building a farm team. She points to newly elected Democrat Assemblymen Marcus Conklin, William Horne and Kelvin Atkinson and to some candidates who failed on Election Day, such as Senate candidate Terry Lamuraglia.

But she said party leaders must come up with a specific plan on the main issues facing the state. That will help differentiate Democrats and show voters "we're not trying to be watered-down Republicans."

Rory Reid, who is Harry Reid's son, said he thinks the party needs to do a better job recruiting candidates. But, he admits, organization is tough in a party that prides itself on inclusion.

"Democratic organization is oxymoronic because the party is so diverse," he said. "We have conservatives, liberals and every racial and ethnic type, and every economic strata is represented.

"The Republican Party is much more homogeneous, and it's a challenge for us to get all of our diverse voices singing in the same chorus," Reid said.

Care, who said he is committed to remaining chairman until the state party meeting next May, said he plans a series of gatherings to analyze how the party can improve.

"I know what it means to me to be a Democrat," Care said. "Some Democrats think it's just to be the opposite of a Republican. We've got to have a clear message."

Other Democrats look further to the future.

In 2006 when Gov. Kenny Guinn and several other constitutional officers are prohibited by term limits from running again, Democrats won't have to face entrenched incumbents.

"The good news for the Democrats is that there are already some major people lining up to run for governor," Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, a Democrat in a nonpartisan office, said. "Dina Titus, (Henderson Mayor) Jim Gibson and Richard Perkins are not lightweights, and they'll help the Democratic Party."

Wicker said he would like to see the party do a better job of showcasing Southern Nevada Democrats up north. The state party opened an office in Reno this year, and Wicker said he hoped candidates for statewide offices do the same in the future.

"It would help bring the party together," Wicker said.

Bryan said he did not see all doom and gloom in the Nov. 5 election. One silver lining is found in Democratic wins in key governor's races such as Michigan, Illinois and Pennsylvania this year.

"Governors do much better at establishing a grass-roots organization in their states because governors are in their states every day," Bryan said.

Miller's advice sounds as simple as his assessment of the party's current low stature.

"We have to start over," he said.

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