Democrats close voter gap in new House district

Erin Neff

Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2002 | 8:42 a.m.

Voter registration totals for the general election released Monday by Clark County show Democrats with a 32,810 edge over Republicans.

The figures help bolster Democratic candidates for countywide offices, who suggest that efforts to get their party's voters to the polls during early voting or on Nov. 5 will be critical.

Other figures released by the Clark County Election Department show potential for some very close races.

In the 3rd Congressional District -- Nevada's new seat -- the final tally of registration has whittled down the Republican edge over Democrats to just 502 voters in the 308,787-voter district.

Prior registration figures gave Republicans a 2,000-vote edge. Democrats attribute the difference to an aggressive voter registration drive.

The key in that race between Democrat Dario Herrera and Republican Jon Porter will be the 45,514 non-partisans.

Porter campaign consultant Mike Slanker said his candidate has the edge because voters who are not aligned with a particular party will be hesitant to vote for Herrera.

"His ethical troubles are well known," Porter said.

Herrera's campaign manager Achim Bergmann said despite the GOP's edge on paper, his candidate has a better shot at the non-partisans because he is talking about the issues.

"This whole race is about issues that are important to working families," Bergmann said. "Dario Herrera is clearly the better candidate."

The closest of Clark County's Assembly races is the District 5 seat being sought by Republican Valerie Weber and Democrat John Ellerton. The seat, which is open due to Barbara Cegavske's bid for the state Senate, gives the Republicans just 420 more voters than Democrats.

The closest-watched Clark County Senate race is the District 9 open seat being sought by Republican Dennis Nolan, Democrat Terry Lamuraglia and Independent American John Lusk.

Voter registration gives the GOP a 3,276 edge over the Democrats who are trying to win this seat as one of two needed to take the majority in the state Senate. There are 1,000 Independent American voters and 9,037 non-partisans among the district's 61,420 voters.