ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 14

Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004 | 2:03 a.m.

Democratic Assembly District 14 incumbent Ellen Koivisto faces two challengers in a district where there are 3,100 more Democrats than Republicans and 8,600 more Democrats than Independent American Party members.

Her challenges are from Republican Richard Golden Gardner Jr. and Independent American candidate Steven "Captain Truth" Dempsey.

The district is bounded by Lake Mead Boulevard, Charleston Boulevard, Sahara Avenue, Pecos Road and land east of Hollywood Boulevard.

Koivisto, 61, was first elected in 1996 and has served two terms as chairwoman of the Assembly Committee on Health Care, three terms as a member of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, four terms as a member of the Assembly Education Committee and one term as a member of the Committee on Government Affairs.

A retiree, she is running on a platform calling for the highest patient care in hospitals, including supporting measures that will recruit and educate more nurses and retain current ones.

Koivisto, who has a high school diploma and attended college, also wants to coordinate businesses, teachers and parents to help students be successful in schools and "provide a net that no child will fall through."'

She also supports legislation for health insurance options to provide coverage for low income working families, uninsured pregnant women and other "medically needy Nevadans."

Gardner did not fill out a Sun questionnaire on his platform or provide biographical information.

Dempsey regularly speaks during the public comment period on a range of issues at Las Vegas City Council meetings. On his Sun questionnaire he lists his birth date as "Unknown. No independent recollection." He says, however, that he is about 50.

Dempsey is running on a platform of stopping illegal immigration into the United States, seeking safer drinking water and encouraging voters to ask questions and not blindly follow what they are told by the government.

Dempsey has a bachelor's degree in political science from UNLV. He is a member of the organization Jail 4 Judges and serves as assistant jailer-in-chief of the Nevada chapter.