Daines won’t campaign for N. Las Vegas judge position

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005 | 9:38 a.m.

Faced with the possibility of being forced to take unpaid leave from her job in Las Vegas Municipal Court because she was running for judge in North Las Vegas Municipal Court, Marcia Daines tried to withdraw from the election on Tuesday.

Although she was too late -- the last day candidates could remove their name from the ballot was Feb. 8 -- her boss in Las Vegas said Daines will continue working for the Las Vegas court. Court Administrator Jim Carmany said he was satisfied Daines tried to withdraw and will not campaign even though her name will be on the ballot.

Daines candidacy and work are an issue because of a policy adopted by the Las Vegas City Council in July that states, "No public employee shall be eligible for any form of paid compensation while running for a political office or during active service as an elected official."

Carmany said as far as he's concerned Daines has withdrawn from the race.

"The problem is that her name will be on the ballot. But she told me she wouldn't campaign," Carmany said. "If I was to find out she was campaigning then I would definitely have to take some steps."

Carmany said Daines left for a vacation in Florida after filing to run for North Las Vegas judge. When she returned to work on Thursday, Carmany told her of the policy.

"She just wasn't aware of the policy," Carmany said, adding that Daines tried to withdraw Friday but North Las Vegas City Hall is closed on Fridays. The city was also closed Monday for the Presidents' Day holiday.

Daines is a secretary in the administrative services division of the Las Vegas Municipal Court. She has worked for the city since October 1979. Attempts to reach Daines on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Daines is also one of six candidates for the newly created position as judge of North Las Vegas Municipal Court Department 2.

The other candidates are Keith Buck, whose wife Shari Buck is a North Las Vegas City Councilwoman, Willia Chaney, Sean Hoeffgen, Christopher Larotonda, and Robert Nelson-Kortland.