Attorney general race heats up with debate

Erin Neff

Friday, Sept. 6, 2002 | 9:10 a.m.

The first debate in the attorney general's race has generated some ammunition for both campaigns.

At Wednesday's debate, Democrat John Hunt went after Republican Brian Sandoval for representing the Utility Shareholders Association of Nevada, which Hunt described as protecting the utility.

Sandoval said he actually represented about 10,000 senior citizen stockholders in that capacity and was trying to attain both just and reasonable energy rates and a healthy and vibrant utility when Nevada Power Co. went before the Public Utilities Commission for rate increases.

Hunt's campaign sent a letter Thursday to the shareholders association asking for the demographic composition of the association, how the group is funded, and thus, who paid Sandoval for his services.

"Our individual members on average are in their 60s, they're for the most part retired and on fixed incomes," said Joyce Newman, president of the association.

Newman said Sandoval no longer represented the association when Nevada Power sought its record rate increases before the PUC.

At Wednesday's debate, Hunt also questioned how Sandoval would act as attorney general after receiving campaign money from a Yucca Mountain lobbyist and why the gaming industry he once regulated as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission would donate to Sandoval's campaign.

Sandoval said the gaming industry was simply supporting him because he had been a "tough, but fair" chairman.

But Sandoval's campaign went on the offensive Thursday, suggesting Hunt should not have questioned Sandoval's contributions given some of the Democrat's own.

Hunt has received $27,100 in donations from dentists, dental groups and members of the Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners, for which Hunt has served as legal counsel since 1990.

Hunt's campaign manager, Dan Hart, said Hunt has not served as the board's prosecutor -- essentially going after bad dentists -- since he announced his campaign for attorney general in March.

"Someone else in his firm handles those duties," Hart said.

Hart also downplayed the contributions the same way Sandoval did his financial support from the gaming industry.

"It means that he's doing a good job," Hart said.