Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004 | 1:54 a.m.
Sen. Harry Reid and his $4.8 million war chest have it easy on Sept. 7 -- the incumbent has no Democratic primary opponents.
But six Republicans will compete in the primary to face Reid in November. Independent American David K. Schumann, Natural Law candidate Gary Marinch and Libertarian Thomas L. Hurst will also appear on the November general-election ballot.
The Republican field includes:
Royle W. Melton, 50, a Reno lawyer who worked for former Nevada Republican Sens. Paul Laxalt and Chic Hecht.
Melton said the war on terrorism is putting the nation's standard of living at risk because it doesn't address the "fundamental underlying issues as to what is giving rise to these attacks." Addressing those issues could mean overhauling U.S. policy in the Middle East, he said.
"We've squandered our heritage," Melton said. "These places in the world see that and they attack our interests. We're just not living up to the standards that our country was founded upon.
The Senate can work on reducing taxes and the deficit after the nation is secured, he said.
Carlo Poliak, 64, a sanitation worker and banquet worker.
Poliak, who is using just his last name in this election, has run several times for governor, once with his full name.
Poliak said he would eliminate foreign aid, create a flat-rate income tax and work to preserve overtime pay. He believes that too much of taxpayers money is disbursed to strangers, saying "charity begins at home."
Cherie M. Tilley, 63, a manager a Dynatec Mining Inc.
Tilley played high school football with Vice President Dick Cheney in Wyoming.
Tilley would enact laws restricting the "monopolistic" practices of major drug companies that drive up prescription drug costs. He supports building a pipeline to bring Columbia River water to Nevada and the Southwest.
He would stop fighting Yucca Mountain and obtain compensation from the federal government not for storing nuclear waste, but for finding a way to reprocess it.
"My water plan and Yucca Mountain plan will better Nevada's economy for all generations to come and not use tax dollars to do so," he said. "The utility companies and end users will pay for the costs."
Kenneth A. Wegner, 48, retired from the Army.
Wegner would bring home 70,000 troops from Europe, 40,000 troops from Japan and 15,000 troops from South Korea and deploy them on U.S. borders to stop drug smuggling and illegal immigration.
He also would require that English be spoken in the United States, expel all illegal aliens, require that all military and federal-agency supplies be made in the United States, create a 2 percent national sales tax, reduce foreign aid, create an 8 percent flat income tax and pull the United States out of trade treaties such as NAFTA and GATT.
"I'm an independent-thinking Republican candidate for U.S. Senate," he said. "My ideas will make our country a better, safer place to live."
Richard Ziser, 51, a self-employed investment manager.
Ziser spearheaded the state's constitutional amendment that defined marriage as between a man and a women.
Ziser pledges to reform and simplify the federal tax structure. He would support judges that would follow strict constitutional interpretations of the law, create a business environment that helps create jobs and "continue to stand for the family and work to protect our American values."
"The people of Nevada are hard-pressed to pay the excessive taxes that are imposed upon them directly from all levels of government, combined with the indirect costs of excessive regulations and taxes on businesses that drive up prices at the gas pumps, banks, clothing and grocery stores, and increase the cost of goods and services," Ziser said. "I will fight to reduce federal taxes and oppose new taxes."
Robert "Bob" Brown lists his address in Boynton Beach, Fla., and did not return a questionnaire or calls from the Sun requesting information on his candidacy.
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