Assembly District 13

Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004 | 1:45 a.m.

Growth and politics have changed the landscape of Assembly District 13, a sprawling area of Clark County that extends from Mount Charleston to the California border.

Incumbent Chad Christensen, who faced scandal and political backlash over the course of his last term, faces Rudolph "Rudy" Durso in the Republican primary. The winner will face Democratic candidate Justin Jones and Libertarian Debra Payne-Dedmon in the general election.

Christensen came under fire for campaign finance violations earlier this year. After an investigation by the secretary of state's office, in April he was fined $4,500 for failing to detail campaign loans, expenses and contributions.

Christensen has also been targeted for removal by the gaming industry, especially Station Casinos, for not supporting the casinos' preferred tax package during the 2003 Legislature.

Republicans have the numerical advantage in the large district, with the second-largest number of registered voters of any Assembly district. But the explosion in the district's voting population -- an increase of 13,000 since the 2002 vote -- has made it unpredictable. The Republican edge is just 3,000 out of 47,000 registered voters, and there are more than 7,000 unaffiliated voters who could swing the results of the general election.

Christensen, 34, was elected for the first time in 2002. He owns a business that does sales work for other companies. His five-part platform consists of improving education, creating economic growth, making health care affordable and accessible, controlling government spending and providing quality public safety.

"We must ensure our fixed-income and senior residents are not forced out of their homes by rising property taxes," Christensen wrote in his questionnaire, adding that he supports Nevada's current tax structure and would fight an income tax.

Christensen currently serves on two interim legislative bodies, the Commission on Educational Technology and a study group on mass transit. During the past session, Christensen served on the Assembly's Government Affairs; Natural Resources; and Elections, Procedures and Ethics committees.

Christensen also serves on national committees: the Transportation Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures, of which he is vice chairman, and the Homeland Security Committee of the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Christensen holds a degree in international relations from Brigham Young University.

Durso, who declined to give his age, is a retired salesman. District 13's most pressing problem, he said, is the need for more schools to keep up with growth. He said he would also work to reduce property taxes, stop utility rate increases and increase law enforcement.

Durso said his greatest assets are his skill as a communicator and his background in sales.

"Due to my 35 years experience in sales management, covering all facets of large business operations, I feel that I would be qualified to control the expenses in the districts' budget," Durso wrote.

Durso graduated from Franklin High SCHOOL in Rochester, N.Y., and serves on the Las Vegas Senior Citizen Advisory Board.

In the 2002 Republican primary, Durso finished last of three candidates, with 8 percent of the vote.