Republican poll may stop ‘bloody’ primary in spring

Kirsten Searer

Thursday, July 21, 2005 | 9:48 a.m.

Clark County Republicans could take the controversial step of holding a straw poll as soon as this fall to endorse candidates in the 2006 primary elections.

All six state constitutional offices will be open seats in 2006, and already Republican candidates are lining up, especially for the governor and secretary of state races.

Some Republicans want to endorse candidates before they must officially file to run for office early next year.

"What they're trying to do is avoid a very expensive and potentially bloody primary race," said John Hambrick, the newly elected chairman of the Clark County Republican Party.

The county party didn't endorse candidates in 2004, following a controversial county convention in 2002 when delegates held a straw poll to endorse candidates.

The endorsement process irked some incumbents who thought they should automatically have the party's endorsement. And some candidates said it was unfair because supporters simply asked their friends to show up and vote for them.

Then-Assemblyman Dennis Nolan was especially vocal about the process, when Republicans overwhelmingly voted not to endorse him for the state Senate in 2002.

He won the seat anyway.

Nathan Emens, a former press secretary for the county party who is no longer on the executive board, said he opposes endorsing candidates before the primary.

"It winds up creating more enemies than friends," he said.

He pointed to Nolan's race, which he worked on. Nolan had support in the party, he said, but his opponent had more friends in the audience.

At the time, Nolan said the straw poll was "even worse than a beauty contest because in this case the contestants are asked to bring their own judges."

But some argue that the endorsements could persuade weaker candidates to drop out of the race, thereby allowing front runners to spend less money during the primary. Plus, there are precious few weeks for candidates to redirect their campaign before the general election.

"If Republicans have a primary, they end up thrashing it out -- the same would be true for Democrats," said Brian Scroggins, a former chairman of the Clark County Republican Party, who is now a candidate for secretary of state. "They have very little time to regroup before the general election."

The party doesn't have to wait until the spring convention to hold endorsements. Under the county bylaws, the executive board could choose to hold endorsements at any point, even at a regular meeting.

Any registered Republican can attend a meeting and sign up to vote in an endorsement. Two-thirds of the members present would need to vote for a candidate for him or her to win the party's endorsement.

Hambrick said he doesn't think the county party could vote at its September meeting, although it might at its November meeting.

Already, the Republican primary for governor is expected to be competitive.

Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, and Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt have said they will run. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., is expected to announce his candidacy later this summer.

Other Republicans who are looking at the race include university Chancellor Jim Rogers and Reno Mayor Bob Cashell.

The Republican primary for secretary of state could also be crowded, with possible candidates including Scroggins, former Assemblywoman Merle Berman and Danny Tarkanian, son of Las Vegas Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian.

The state Democratic Party's bylaws prevent any endorsements before the primary, said Democratic spokesman Jon Summers.