Candidates and their supporters become fiesty

Erin Neff

Thursday, Oct. 3, 2002 | 9:50 a.m.

A debate between district attorney candidates Mike Davidson and David Roger airs on Las Vegas ONE, Cox cable channels 1 and 39, at these times: Tonight at 8 p.m.; Friday at 2 a.m.; Saturday at 9 a.m.; and Sunday at 3 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sun political columnist Jon Ralston, Sun reporter Erin Neff and George Knapp are the panelists.

Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt and her Democratic challenger, Erin Kenny, found plenty to disagree about Wednesday at a candidates forum.

Not even a candidate's endorsements or her first name went without opposition before a packed room of boisterous supporters who had to be threatened with expulsion from the Sahara West Library conference room twice.

The feistiness was matched by the candidates, both of whom worked their supporters into decibels certain to disrupt those reading on the other side of the building.

It began when Hunt objected to the premise of the first question -- Do you support the Southern Nevada Water Authority's bid to buy Nevda Power? -- saying, that unlike her opponent, she doesn't think its in the lieutenant governor's job description.

"The lieutenant governor's office is charged with chairing economic development and tourism," Hunt said forcefully as sign-waving supporters cheered wildly. "It would be ludicrous for anyone running to be lieutenant governor to try to be governor. The governor and the Legislature set policy."

Kenny, a Clark County commissioner, fired right back, saying she didn't want Nevada Power's $1 billion rate hike for a legacy.

"I think it's not only reasonable, but responsible to have that public policy discussion whether you're governor, lieutenant governor or dog catcher," Kenny said, to her own whooping supporters.

Endorsement questions also raised hackles. Kenny said Gov. Kenny Guinn works well with her, and Hunt suggested she had support of rank-and-file union workers.

Kenny said she worked with Guinn on Clark County's air quality problems, medical malpractice and the proposed amber alert program.

Hunt said Guinn has endorsed her, mentioned the times she's served as acting governor and also knocked Kenny for Clark County's F grade for ozone pollution.

Kenny had to spend some of her time on the next question, saying that her air quality work had to do with particulate matter dust, and not ozone. That's also when Kenny stopped calling Hunt "Lorraine" and started calling her "Lorrie."

Prior to the forum, which was sponsored by the Charleston Neighborhood Preservation Group, the Nevada AFL-CIO held a press conference to denounce Hunt's support for investing state Public Employees Retirement System funds.

It was the second such press conference, and after Wednesday's, Hunt called it a "bogus issue" and again said she has been misinterpreted.

Hunt said a company called Pathways invests $200 million of PERS funds in AAA venture capital from other states. She says she does support investing some of that money in Nevada venture capital.

"I'm just saying if a Nevada company meets the same criteria, give them a chance," Hunt said after the forum.

After the forum, Kenny said she has a "very serious philosophical difference" with Hunt on the issue.

"I believe that a person's retirement is not to be touched, not to be gambled with," Kenny said.

During the forum, Hunt went right at Kenny several times.

Kenny had suggested that the first thing she would do in office is "go straight back out to rural Nevada because many of the people in rural Nevada haven't seen their lieutenant governor in four years."

She also said Nevada needs to be viewed as one state.

Hunt later discussed how she serves on 14 development authorities throughout the state and that it was her slogan, "One Nevada," that helped get her elected four years ago.

"We bridged that divide, north-south, a long time ago," Hunt said.