Retired Del Papa plans to go Latin

Erin Neff

Friday, Nov. 15, 2002 | 10:23 a.m.

After 12 years in office and frequent head-butting with Republicans, you'd think Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa would be speaking in tongues.

But it's going to be her post-elective office activities that have her dabbling in another language.

Del Papa, who is of Italian descent, will take a Spanish immersion course in Mexico.

Is she grooming herself for even higher offices with the state's growing Hispanic population in mind?

"I am grooming myself for future life," Del Papa said, adding, "this is going to be helpful for my private life and for my public life."

Del Papa will take a sabbatical when her term ends in early January, spending much of her time writing and spending a month at the Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, roughly 3 1/2 hours north of Mexico City.

She'll spend six hours a day in total Spanish immersion.

Her successor, Republican Brian Sandoval, boasts a Latin surname but can't, at least for now, speak Spanish.

He vows, with taped lessons in his car and hints at a future immersion course, to be fluent in Spanish by the end of 2003.

Bienvenido to the future of Nevada politics.

Ensign wins post

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., was unanimously elected Thursday as vice chairman of the Senate's Republican Steering Committee.

The committee sets the legislative agenda for the Republican Party and not only steers policy but steers the careers of those who start there.

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., the previous vice chairman, was elected chairman. Ensign previously served on the committee's executive board.

Elections continue

Voters decided nearly everything imaginable on Nov. 5 in the largest Clark County ballot in history.

The only things not on the ballot were municipal elections. But four incumbent Las Vegas City Council members are working to ensure that there's really no election next spring either.

Mayor Oscar Goodman says he has raised almost $1 million for his re-election campaign.

Councilmen Michael McDonald, Gary Reese and Lawrence Weekly are also officially up for re-election, but all have already begun raising money and getting a leg up on any would-be competition.

Reese had a fund-raiser Tuesday night. Weekly said he has begun his fund-raising. And McDonald has told colleagues he's running again.

And although early voting starts March 22 for the primary election, no names have emerged to challenge the incumbents.

Goodman said he'll still campaign hard because he's having fun and wants to keep his job.

"As long as people want me it's a wonderful opportunity in life to make a place that I love, better," Goodman said.

Weekly just won election two years ago after his appointment to the council. After redistricting, he's forced to run again next spring, this time for a four-year term.

"I don't want another election," Weekly said.

Reese, who squeaked by Nevada Stupak in 1999, said he hasn't heard of any opponents. He also said anyone who runs against Goodman "would be crazy."

"I walked with him in the Veterans Day parade last weekend and he's more popular than ever," Reese said. "People love him."

Goodman said he's talked to his council colleagues about that popularity and how it might help their campaigns.

"We've talked about it, and I would like to go door-to-door campaigning with them," Goodman said.

For now he's planning another fund-raiser -- the next one Nov. 20 at The Stirling Club -- and met with constituents for coffee this morning at the Central Park West coffeehouse.

Dayton leaving

Mike Dayton, a longtime aide to Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., announced Thursday he will be resigning his position to launch a lobbying career.

Dayton was Gibbons' campaign manager in 1996 and has served as chief of staff for six years. He had also previously headed the Nevada Senate Republican Caucus, working for Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno.

Dayton came to work in the congressman's Las Vegas district office in May. Robert Uithoven, Gibbons' former legislative aide, was named chief of staff at that time.

Gibbons said Dayton "has a great political mind," and added that he was an "indispensable and trusted adviser."

Dayton said he will remain in the Las Vegas office through the end of the year.

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