Assembly District 5

Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2004 | 2:30 a.m.

Two Democrats square off in the Assembly District 5 primary with the winner set to take on incumbent Republican Valerie Weber in November.

A recent update of the voters list from the Clark County Election Department showed that the district had 8,334 registered Democrats, just 10 more than it had Republicans.

That is a hopeful sign for contenders Kirk Kaplan, an attorney and certified public accountant, and Kevin Kennedy, a former business owner and ex-teacher.

Kaplan, 41, a graduate of Valley High School, Regis University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School, is running on a platform seeking affordable and accessible health care, improved education, support of small businesses obtaining affordable health care for their employees and better growth management.

Kaplan's community service includes being a member of Friends of Red Rock Canyon and serving on the Red Rock Interpretive Association board.

Kennedy, 63, a Vietnam veteran with a Bronze Star, said he is running to repeal the basic government tax on automobiles and replace the revenue by increasing gaming taxes.

Kennedy, who has masters degree in public administration, also supports restructuring the education system, including raising teachers' salaries and creating a more disciplined system that would create a better environment in which "teachers can teach."