Three challenge incumbent for seat

Dan Kulin

Thursday, March 13, 2003 | 11:33 a.m.

Jesse Dominic Harris

Age: 22.

Occupation: Computer repairman.

Education: Green Valley High School.

Endorsements: None.

Andy Hafen

Age: 48.

Occupation: City councilman for 16 years, retired Metro Police investigator

Education: University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Endorsements: Henderson Police Officers Association, Nevada Conference of Police and Sheriffs, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Protective Association, Southern Nevada Labor Council, Henderson Chamber of Commerce, and Citizens for Responsible Government.

Rocco Tucker

Age: 35.

Occupation: Green Valley Executive Suites owner-operator.

Education: Fullerton College, Calif., two years, no degree.

Endorsements: Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters.

Briana Ousley-Mitchell

Not available for interview

Rocco Tucker decided to run for Henderson City Council, he says, after his councilman brushed off his neighborhood's complaints about a proposed rezoning nearby.

That councilman, Andy Hafen, says anyone who knows him knows he wouldn't have done that because he doesn't ignore his constituents.

It doesn't matter who's right, a political expert says. The allegation could be a strong tool for an effort to unseat the four-term incumbent.

Most people in fast-growing Henderson can relate to the scenario of an unpopular rezoning opening the door to an unwanted development near a residential neighborhood, said Michael Bowers, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"Enough people are unhappy with zoning decisions because so much development goes on. That's an issue that really does resonate with voters," Bowers said. "We all have some sad tale on zoning."

Besides, Bowers said, just repeating the story over and over can give it credibility with voters.

"If you tell the story enough times, people will believe it," he said.

Tucker is doing all he can to tell the story often. He's telling it to everyone he visits as he goes door-to-door around the city, and the story is the first sentence in a recent direct-mail piece Tucker's campaign sent to voters.

"My opponent doesn't listen to the people," Tucker says. "It's time for a change."

Bowers says Hafen must go out his way to counter Tucker's story and get his version to the public of what happened when the two met.

"You have to respond to those kinds of charges or you're acquiescing to it" Bowers said.

But Hafen has no plans to directly respond to Tucker's accusation and says he's not concerned about the story's possible impact on the election.

"The people that know me know I wouldn't do that," Hafen said.

Hafen said he's not concerned about Tucker's call for a change in city leadership because Hafen thinks the voters are happy.

"If things are going great, why change?" Hafen said.

Tucker is joined by two other challengers who hope voters will disagree with Hafen. Jesse Dominic Harris, a computer repairman, and Briana Ousley-Mitchell, a former customer relations agent for the now defunct National Airlines, are also seeking the Henderson Ward 2 council seat are

Harris said Hafen and Tucker are the obvious front-runners. Harris said he is running simply to get his issues heard. Developers should pay more for infrastructure, and Henderson police are too aggressive in traffic enforcement, Harris said.

Harris took 3 percent of the vote in his November bid for State Assembly, when he ran as the candidate from the Independent American Party.

Ousley-Mitchell did not return numerous telephone messages seeking comment for this story.

The four candidates will appear on the city's April 8 primary ballot. Early voting is from March 22 to April 4.

If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the votes in the primary, that person wins the seat. Otherwise, the two candidates receiving the most votes in the primary will face off in the general election.

The part-time job carries an annual pay of $44,295.

Hafen won the seat in the primary in his last three elections.

Tucker, the owner-operator of Green Valley Executive Suites, a company that provides office space, secretarial, janitorial and other office services primarily for small start-up companies, said he has invested $80,000 of his own money into his campaign. That has helped him get his name in front of voters, most visibly with three large billboards.

Hafen said Tucker's challenge has made him pay more attention to fund-raising. Hafen estimates the election will cost his campaign about $200,000.

"Mostly it's driven by rumors (that) my opponent has said he will spend anything it takes to beat me," Hafen said.

Hafen said some voters are concerned about Tucker being the son-in-law of Rich MacDonald, the developer of MacDonald Ranch, a 600-acre master-planned community in Henderson.

Bowers agreed that could work against Tucker because all of those people with a sad rezoning story to tell can name a developer who was behind that rezoning.

However, the relationship would not work to MacDonald's advantage if Tucker were elected because Tucker would have to recuse himself from any vote related to MacDonald, Bower said.

It would make dealing with the Henderson City Council tougher for MacDonald because MacDonald would need to convince three out of four instead of three out of five council members to support his projects, Tucker said.

Tucker said Hafen is making his father-in-law an issue because "if he didn't bring that up he'd have nothing to say."

Hafen says his re-election campaign platform is "quality growth" and public safety.

Hafen says he will focus on in-fill development. He plans on directing new construction to pockets of vacant property already surrounded by development. This kind of growth will keep the city from becoming too spread out and put less stress on infrastructure needed to serve newly developed areas, he said.

Hafen, a retired Metro investigator, says he will also continue to push for strong police and fire departments.

Tucker, a former Marine, says he too would have a strong focus on public safety. But Tucker always returns to his primary campaign message.

"I think it's time for a change," Tucker says.