3RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004 | 1:17 a.m.

The most hotly contested congressional race in Nevada features an 18-year political veteran and a newcomer who says he can do better.

Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., points to his experience that started at the Boulder City Council and now extends to one term in the U.S. House representing Nevada's 3rd Congressional District.

If elected to a second term, the 49-year-old said he would continue to fight for federal dollars for Nevada's schools and protect retirement benefits for seniors.

Democrat Tom Gallagher, 59, has one major theme of his campaign: Porter votes with the Republican leadership too often.

Gallagher also lists health care and education as two of his priorities, saying he wants to fix problems with the Medicare prescription drug plan and No Child Left Behind Act. Porter voted in favor of the drug plan and expressed support for No Child Left Behind, but was not in Congress when it passed.

They face two other candidates on the ballot: Richard Wayne O'Dell of the Independent American Party and Libertarian Joseph P. Silvestri.

Gallagher argues that Porter shouldn't have voted for the drug bill. Gallagher said it doesn't give the government power to negotiate for cheaper drugs, is confusing for seniors and is a "boondoggle" for drug companies that he said will benefit from the plan.

Porter, who was a small-business owner with Farmers Insurance Group, also said his priorities are health care and education. While he agrees there are problems with the prescription drug plan and No Child Left Behind, he argues that the bills were a good start and can be improved.

Porter said he has helped secure almost $10 million in federal money for the Clark County School District and introduced bills to help unemployed workers and crack down on people who drive while under the influence of drugs.

And Porter disagrees that he votes too often with the GOP leadership. He points to several key issues where he has stood up against the leadership, including fighting a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. He also told leaders and the White House that he would vote to override a veto if money was cut from Nevada's transportation budget, he said.

Gallagher points to his long career as an attorney and casino executive, saying he has learned how to build consensus and break ranks. He was the first chief executive on the Strip to agree to a new deal with the Culinary Union in 2002, helping avoid a strike.

O'Dell is running for the office for the second time after an unsuccessful try in 2002. He did not return a questionnaire to the Sun.

Silvestri, who moved to Las Vegas in 1997, received his bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz and his master's degree from SUNY at Stonybrook, according to the Libertarian Party's Clark County Web site.

He is a history and geography teacher in the Clark County School District and has been chairman and vice chairman of the county party since 2001.