Winners look ahead

Erin Neff

Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2002 | 11:13 a.m.

Unopposed and lightly opposed candidates for statewide office walked around parties Tuesday night like bridesmaids, as attention was focused elsewhere.

But their turn in the spotlight officially begins today as the state trains its eyes on three top races and the nation glances Nevada's way to see which party will take the new congressional district.

Gov. Kenny Guinn showed no interest in his own re-election bid Tuesday, hobnobbing with four of his five fellow Republicans vying for the state's top offices even as he conducted a live television interview.

"That was more than a minute on me," Guinn said, turning to Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt, Treasurer Brian Krolicki, Secretary of State Dean Heller and attorney general candidate Brian Sandoval. "Do you know what a 60-second ad goes for?"

Guinn said he will focus most of his attention on the state's budget shortfall, and will pay passing attention to his Democratic foe, state Sen. Joe Neal, if he can, on weekends.

The rest of his ticket is a bit more aggressive as they try to put Republicans in all six of the state's constitutional offices. They currently have incumbents in every seat but attorney general.

They'll face challenges, especially for lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Erin Kenny, a 41-year-old Clark County commissioner who just finished law school and the bar exam, said she is now completely focused on her race and catching up to Hunt's lead in the polls for lieutenant governor.

"We haven't really done anything yet," Kenny said. "I'm confident I'm going to win."

Hunt acknowledged Tuesday that the race might be closer than her current double-digit lead in some polls.

"But I do believe strongly that we've done an outstanding job," Hunt said. "I think what I've done working closely with the governor and being acting governor for (a total of) six months shows how much I've done."

Over at Democratic Party headquarters on Eastern Avenue, Kenny hoisted her party's attorney general candidate John Hunt's hands and encouraged support for him.

Hunt, 48, has spent the past few weeks putting 1,200 miles on his car driving through rural Nevada to get his message out while Sandoval, a Reno attorney, has been camped squarely in Clark County trying to make inroads with the Democratic majority.

"I need to be here," Sandoval said Tuesday night in Las Vegas. "This is where the race will be decided."

Hunt rallied the crowd across town in a screed against corporate greed, which has been a Democratic theme.

"The state and this country is off track because of the avarice and greed of corporate America," Hunt said. "We can't let them destroy our pensions, destroy our kids."

Sandoval, who has raised about $900,000 for the race, has shot a television commercial expected to air later this week. Hunt, who has raised $600,000, has been on TV for weeks with an ad showcasing some of his supporters.

The third state race vying for attention features Republican Controller Kathy Augustine in a tight race with Democratic Assemblyman John Lee.

Lee has picked up labor and law enforcement endorsements and has plans to consolidate the office's billing and collections. He will also probably criticize public travel Augustine has taken.

Augustine said she would continue to work to collect debt owed the state and defend her office.

Nevada's 3rd Congressional District has already been the focus of the most television ads and the most attention prior to the primary. That won't change in the next 63 days.

Mike Slanker, a campaign consultant for Republican Jon Porter, said he expects negative ads from those backing Democrat Dario Herrera to continue for just about as long.

"We expect the attacks to continue because he's down double digits," Slanker said of Herrera's showing in some polls.

The race will also be about certain catch phrases like Herrera's overuse of "Nevada families" and Porter's sudden propensity for calling himself a small business owner rather than a district manager for an insurance company.

Herrera told supporters Tuesday night the question for voters is "Whether Nevada can afford to send an insurance executive to Washington or put someone in who has a record of putting Nevada families first."

Porter said a recent Herrera ad that failed to address how Nevada computes certain legislative votes shows: "It's obvious that Herrera's race is being run by Washington research analysts and consultants."