ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 41

Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004 | 12:44 p.m.

Assembly District 41 Democratic incumbent David Parks will take on two challengers as he makes a bid for a fifth term.

His opponents are Republican Patricia Saye and Independent American Christopher Hansen. There were no primaries because none of the candidates had a challenger from within their own parties.

Parks, 60, a consultant, served as chairman of the Assembly tax committee last session and was Assembly majority floor leader in 2001.

Parks has a master's in business administration from UNLV and served in the Air Force, where he was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base.

He is a former director of the office of budget and management for Las Vegas and was a senior management analyst for Clark County and assistant director of the Regional Transportation Commission from 1990-1999.

He has served on the Paradise Town Advisory Board, the Nevada State AIDS Task Force, Governor's Homeless Policy Team and the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth Advisory Board, among other boards.

In the 2003 legislative session, Parks and Sen. Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas, were leading figures in the attempt to obtain funding for suicide prevention. He did not list his issues for this campaign on a Sun questionnaire.

Saye, 55, a Valley High School graduate, has had a number of diverse jobs and currently is a licensed bail agent. She also has been a bookkeeper for a federal agency, a licensed beautician, a public relations worker and a notary.

She has 16 years' experience in politics, serving on the Republican state and county central committees.

Saye is a member of the Boulder City Lions Club, Nevada Concerned Citizens and the National Rifle Association. She describes herself as, among other things, pro-Constitution, pro-English, pro-10 Commandments, pro-death penalty and pro-life.

Her platform includes securing U.S. borders, enforcing immigration laws and supporting reforms for Social Security and welfare.

Hansen, 49, chief executive officer of Nevada Artisans, wants to reduce taxes. He was Clark County chairman for the failed Axe the Tax referendum that called for overturning the $833 million tax increase from the last Legislature.

Hansen, state chairman for the Independent American Party, opposes illegal immigration and government waste and wants to increase road construction shifts to get highway projects completed in a timely manner.

There are about 2,300 more Democrats than Republicans in the district, and 7,500 more Democrats than Independent Americans.