Shaffer says he’s not retiring from Senate

Monday, Oct. 27, 2003 | 9:36 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- State Sen. Ray Shaffer of North Las Vegas says reports of his retirement are premature and that he is gearing up for a $450,000 campaign for re-election to his sixth term.

"Opponents have been saying I'm going to retire, but that isn't so," the 70-year-old Democrat-turned-Republican said Friday.

His statement came after former Assemblyman John Lee, a Democrat, announced that he would challenge Shaffer in the election next year.

Lee, a three-term assemblyman from Las Vegas, ran unsuccessfully for state controller in the last election. He lost to Republican Kathy Augustine.

Lee, a 48-year-old plumbing contractor and business owner, said he grew up in North Las Vegas and his mother and sister still live in that city. He says he does a lot of business in the city and intends to buy a home there to be eligible to run for election.

"This is a good chance to return and do something good for the city," said Lee, who believes Shaffer is vulnerable because he switched parties in November 2002 to become a Republican.

Senate District 1 has 17,038 Democrats and 12,093 Republicans, according to latest voter registration figures from the Secretary of State's Office.

Shaffer counters that Lee switched parties himself so that's not an issue.

"(Lee) can't badger me with that," said Shaffer, who added he hasn't voted along party lines.

Lee also says Shaffer "let down his constituents" when he left the special session of the Legislature early to go on a cruise in the Hawaiian islands with his wife. He said Shaffer was "drinking martinis" aboard ship while his colleagues were in Carson City "burning the midnight oil."

Shaffer says he doesn't think the voters will hold anything against him for choosing his family first and leaving two days early from the session that passed the $836 million tax package.

Shaffer said the political contributions are already starting to flow in -- some of them unsolicited.

Lee plans to raise $250,000 for his own campaign.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said Lee would be a "strong candidate" but must resolve some of his differences with labor. She didn't explain what those differences with labor are.

Assemblywoman Ellen Koivisto, D-Las Vegas, said she was going to run for the Senate against Shaffer and has a large "support group ready to hit the street." But she said she gave it additional thought and decided she was better off in the Assembly where Democrats hold the majority and she is chairwoman of the Health and Human Services Committee.

"I decided I could do more where I'm at," she said.

Republicans control the Senate now 13-8, and she said she expects that Democrats will continue to be the minority in the Senate.

If Shaffer is defeated, the repercussions could go all of the way to the leadership of the Senate because Shaffer is viewed as an ally of Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno. Raggio may be challenged in 2005 for the leadership in the Senate.

Raggio has not disclosed whether he will run for re-election. His associates think he will, but there have been some rumors that the GOP, if it maintains control of the Senate, may look for a senator from Southern Nevada to be majority leader.