Schneider holds off Tarkanian bid

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2004 | 11:27 a.m.

Incumbent Democrat Sen. Mike Schneider held off Republican Danny Tarkanian and held on to the District 11 Senate seat with an eight-point victory Tuesday.

Schneider collected 13,601 votes, 54 percent, to 11,689 for Tarkanian, 46 percent.

Schneider, a real estate investor, was first elected to the state Assembly in 1992, and then the Senate four years later. He supports increasing funding for education to the national average, and plans to look at long-term health care issues, specifically for the elderly.

Tarkanian is the son of former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian. The candidate with the famous name said he knocked on thousands of doors during the campaign and wanted to push for a property tax cap and re-examine education spending, to make the classroom the top priority.

In other Senate races:

Neal, first elected in 1972, unsuccessfully ran for the Clark County Commission instead of seeking re-election to the Senate.

Beers, an accountant who made a name for himself as an anti-tax hawk in the Assembly, has promised to work to roll back the $833 million tax increase and put more money into the state's rainy-day fund.

A UNLV political science professor, Titus won a sixth term on Tuesday promising to focus on smart growth, property-tax reform and integrity in government.

McGinness, manager of a radio station in Fallon, was elected to his fourth term in the Senate, before which he spent two terms in the Assembly. McGinness said his primary focus in Carson City will be to promote economic development in the rural counties.