Washington coasts in primary

Thursday, Sept. 5, 2002 | 9:12 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, who has been the target of criticism for operation of a charter school he founded, rolled to an easy victory in the primary election, Northern Nevada results showed Wednesday.

Assemblyman Greg Brower, R-Reno, who was the favorite of his party, lost to incumbent Sharron Angle in the GOP primary.

Secretary of State Dean Heller reported Wednesday that unofficial returns showed that 239,618 people cast ballots statewide, a turnout of 29 percent. That's higher than the 23 percent who voted in the 2000 primary election.

Washington, the first and only black Republican in the Senate, captured 66.4 percent of the vote in his district that covers all or parts of Washoe, Lyon and Storey counties.

He defeated citizen activist Sandra Wright, who had 24.4 percent, with William Yacobozzi Jr. in third place at 10 percent.

Washington, who faces Democrat Joe Carter, a Union Pacific engineer, in the general election, was accused of misusing funds that came into the charter school to help qualify him for a loan for his church. He denies any wrongdoing.

Washington is also facing a trial in November on a misdemeanor charge he failed to pay industrial insurance premiums for his church workers.

Angle received 3,044 votes to 2,903 for Brower. She will face Democrat Jan Gilbert, who clobbered David Love 78.8 percent to 21.2 percent in the primary election.

In other Northern Nevada Assembly races: