Collins survives bitter race against NLV councilwoman

Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2004 | 11:24 a.m.

Assemblyman Tom Collins survived a bruising campaign to win the Clark County Commission seat representing much of North Las Vegas and the northern third of the county.

Collins picked up 36,586 votes or 55 percent to knock off North Las Vegas Councilwoman Shari Buck, who had 30,116 votes or 45 percent.

He said the victory mirrored his expectations.

He promised to strive for a "higher ethical standard" on the board, which could include restrictions on contributions to commission re-election campaigns. Collins also promised to work with Buck "to work for the betterment of the entire area."

The district has more than 10,000 more active Democrats than Republicans in the district, a factor that favored Collins, the Democrat. But Collins had an opponent with significant name recognition in Buck, a Republican and two-term councilwoman who has received significant crossover support during her political career, she said.

Buck launched a scorching campaign that hammered Collins for a pair of misdemeanor battery convictions more than a decade ago and an arrest -- but no conviction -- for drunken driving. One of Buck's recent mailers called Collins "brutal and irresponsible." Another said Collins "has a problem with alcohol."

Collins slammed back, accusing Buck of supporting all-nude sex clubs and casinos in residential areas and favoring big water users over homeowners in the contentious issue of new conservation measures.

"Stop Shari Buck from raising your rates and outlawing your lawn," Collins' recent mailer said.

The general election mudslinging was an easy segue from the primary election, in which Collins defeated outgoing Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey, whose political viability took a fatal hit from her indictment in an alleged votes-for-cash scandal involving a local strip-club owner a year ago.

In the primary, Assemblywoman Vonne Chowning, D-North Las Vegas, attacked Collins using many of the same charges and tactics later picked up by Buck.

Kincaid-Chauncey all but publicly endorsed Buck, a position that the Buck campaign said indicated Democratic crossover support and that generated a comment from the Collins campaign suggesting that the two politicians had more in common than their gender and district.

On the issues, Buck and Collins were not far apart. Both supported more police and other services for their constituents. Both were leery of plans from the regional water agencies to conserve water and seek more of the water from rural parts of the state.

Both campaigns also touted their candidates' political experience.

Collins said his campaign was about "the future of Clark County with my deep roots in this community."

"I want to be able to serve the community so we can improve by getting more cops, more parks and less sleaze," he said before Tuesday vote.

He said one of his first initiatives if elected would be to restrict contributions to county commissioners before elections. The Legislature bans contributions to its members in the Assembly and Senate for 30 days before and after the regular session.

Buck said she ran her campaign based on her record.

"My campaign has been about experience, judgement and proven leadership," she said. "I hope to bring stability and confidence back to the county commission, and to bring to District B a county commissioner who will listen to the constituents, hear their concerns and solve problems."

The voters reflected the split between two well-established politicians in the district.

Dorothy W. Stepp, a Democrat and former school district employee, said she strongly backed Sen. John Kerry's candidacy. But that support did not extend to Collins, the Democratic candidate for county commission.

Stepp said she has known Buck, who is a former substitute school teacher, for years.

Buck also fared well in debates with Collins, Stepp said.

"I just feel confident that she can get the job done," she said.

Travis Tadd, 19, was a first time voter. The speckled clothes that he wore to the polling place reflected his job as a salesman at a paint store. Tadd said he is a Republican who was proud to vote for Bush, but he did not support Buck in the county race.

Collins also did not win Tadd's vote. Tadd said the problem with both candidates stemmed from the negative mailers that came to his home.

"I've known both of them," Tadd said. "They lost my vote, both of them. It was just petty."