Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Bache loses another close one to McCleary

Democrat Doug Bache might have failed in his bid to retake the District 11 seat he lost in 2002 due to too much campaigning.

Bache, who lost to incumbent Bob McCleary by 28 votes, mounted an aggressive door-to-door campaign in his attempt to oust the man who beat him by 11 votes two years ago.

Voters at Oran K. Gragson Elementary School on Tuesday said Bache's get-out-the-vote efforts this time around were impressive, but the impression wasn't necessarily positive.

Josha Butler, 28, said she voted for McCleary because she thought Bache's campaigning was "tacky -- just tacky." She said Bache's workers visited her nearly every day, even when she asked them to stop bothering her.

McCleary's victory in Tuesday's closest Assembly contest puts him up against Republican David Adams in the general election.

Almost as close was the Republican primary for Assembly District 1, where Ed Gobel, director of a veterans museum, eked out a 91-vote victory over second-place Bill Dolan.

A total of five Republicans ran in that district, where the candidates won't have to face an incumbent because Democrat Tom Collins left to run for the Clark County Commission.

In the Tuesday primary, Gobel took 38 percent of the vote, Dolan 33 percent, Steven Saul 17 percent, Shane Byrne 8 percent, and Douglas Opolka 3 percent.

On the Democratic side of District 1, sales executive Marilyn Kirkpatrick won more decisively, taking 47 percent of the vote. Her two opponents, Ricki Barlow and Brent Howard, took 27 percent and 25 percent respectively. Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district, where Gobel, Kirkpatrick and the Independent American Party's Peggie Williams will compete in the general election.

In District 3, incumbent Peggy Pierce, D-Las Vegas, took almost percent of the vote to beat out Mel Kalagian, who received 41 percent and Tonie Sison with 9 percent.

Pierce, a community liaison for the Culinary Union, will face Republican Brian Packer and Independent American Clint Barker as she tries for a second term in the Assembly.

In the hotly contested District 4 Republican primary, copywriter Francis Allen garnered 45 percent of the vote to defeat Justin Doucette and Richard McArthur, who had 31 percent and 23 percent respectively. Allen will face Independent American Mark Andrews in a race to take the place of anti-tax crusader Bob Beers, who ran for the state Senate.

Democrat Kirk Kaplan, an attorney and accountant, took 55 percent of the vote in the District 5 primary, beating Kevin Kennedy for the chance to face incumbent Republican Valerie Weber in November.

Democrat Morse Arberry Jr., the 10-term incumbent in Assembly District 7, handily defeated challenger Tracey Lewis, 66 percent to 34 percent. In the general election, he will face Republican Gary Seward and Stan Vaughan, an independent candidate.

Democrat Chris Giunchigliani, the seven-term incumbent from District 9, received 81 percent of the vote as she easily beat Lewis Whitten.

Giunchigliani, who left her job at the Community College of Southern Nevada in July amid complaints about lawmakers working as public employees, will face Independent American Lee Haynes in November.

Democrat Joseph Hogan ran away with the Democratic nomination for District 10, taking almost 70 percent of the vote to defeat Sam Weitzel. Hogan, a retired federal employee, will run against Independent American Glenn Brown and Republican Rex Wilhoite in the general election, hoping to take the place of Democrat David Goldwater, who left the Assembly after five terms to run for the Clark County Commission.

Incumbent Republican Chad Christensen, R-Las Vegas, had no problem dispatching his opponent, Rudy Durso, in the District 13 primary. Christensen, a sales consultant, got 80 percent of the vote. But Christensen may face a tough contest from Democratic challenger Justin Jones in the general election. Libertarian Debra Payne-Dedmon will also be on the ballot.

Republicans have the edge in the district, but Christensen could also be weakened by revelations of campaign finance violations, which led to a $4,500 fine.

Republican Bob Anderson, a retired accountant, took care of business against Lou Toomin, taking 73 percent of the vote in the District 15 primary.

Republican David Gibbs enjoyed a landslide against Angelo Carvalho, earning 81 percent of the vote in District 17. The general election will pit Gibbs, an operations manager, against incumbent Democrat Kelvin Atkinson.

Republican Kris Munn, a planning manager, took 68 percent in District 18, defeating Drew Spangler. He will square off against incumbent Democrat Mark Manendo in November.

Scott Sibley beat three other Republicans to take the nomination in District 22, where incumbent David Brown, R-Las Vegas, decided not to run, citing family commitments.

Sibley, publisher of the Nevada Legal News, took 36 percent of the vote to defeat second-best Lynn Stewart, who took 30 percent, by more than 400 votes. Kathy Martin and Tommy Holmgren brought up the rear with 24 and 9 percent, respectively.

Democrat Caren Levenson, a community activist, beat Richard Young with 54 percent to become Sibley's opponent in November. Independent American Joshua Hansen is also running for the seat.

When longtime Democratic Assemblywoman Vonne Chowning left the District 28 seat to run for Clark County Commission, three Democrats rushed to compete for the spot. Mo Denis, a computer network technician, led the primary field with 51 percent of the vote, while Eddie Flores took 37 percent and Rosa Mendoza took 11 percent.

Denis' opponent will be Republican Benjamin Bell, a retired electrician and truck driver, who garnered almost 60 percent of the vote against Tino Mendoza to earn the GOP nomination.

Republican Anthony Bandiero pulled out a victory in the District 29 primary, beating second-place Jon Petrick by less than 200 votes. Bandiero, a teacher and former lobbyist, had 44.8 percent to Petrick's 38 percent, while two other opponents, Michael Smith and Scott Ervin, had 13 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

In the Democratic primary for that district, retired police officer Susan Gerhardt routed Mohammed High, earning 92 percent of the vote. Gerhardt and Bandiero will compete in November to replace Republican Josh Griffin, who left the Legislature after one term in office.

Republican Sandra Vitolo took 64 percent of the vote in the District 37 primary, beating Scott Anderson. Vitolo, a retired Air Force sergeant, will take on incumbent Democrat Marcus Conklin for the seat.

In the Republican primary for District 42, Bob Adney, a salesman, took 67 percent of the vote to beat Kurt Brauner. Adney will face Democratic incumbent Harry Mortenson in the general election.

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