Gustavson wins recount in close Assembly race

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2002 | 9:45 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Assemblyman Don Gustavson, R-Sun Valley, maintained and even increased his lead over Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, in a recount of election ballots completed Tuesday.

Dan Burk, the Washoe County voter registrar, said the final tally gave Gustavson 4,632 to Smith's 4,596, or a 36-vote margin. On election night Gustavson won by 31 votes.

"This was really a landslide," said Gustavson. "It's an upset of the Democrats who thought they had it in the bag.

"This is the toughest race I had," said Gustavson, who won his fourth term.

Smith requested the recount, which took 15 hours over two days. Four of the precincts had to be counted by hand and the rest by machine.

Smith said she was disappointed by the outcome but thanked her supporters and those who worked on the recount. She said the recount was needed to assure voters that the correct count was made on election night.

Burk said on some ballots there was a mark or an "x" that the computer could not read. So those ballots had to be remarked and then sent through the computer.

The outcome, Burk said, "demonstrates the integrity of the system." But he suggested that in very close elections, there should be an automatic recount without the loser having to request and pay for it.

The recount cost $2,532. Smith had deposited a check for more than $5,100. The balance will be refunded.

Democrats controlled the Assembly in 2001 and drew reapportioned districts that would be more favorable to their party. One was in Sparks, pitting the two incumbents against each other. Smith had a 1,500 Democratic voter registration edge.

Gustavson said Smith had nearly double the $40,000 he raised for the campaign. And the Democrats fashioned the reapportionment bill so that he could not use the word "re-elect" on his campaign literature but that she could, even though she had served two fewer terms than him.

"It was an uphill battle, but I outworked her," he said.