Henderson Mayor Gibson to run for governor

Thursday, July 28, 2005 | 11:01 a.m.

Three-term Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson told his colleagues on the City Council this week that he will seek the Democratic nomination for governor, setting up a likely three-way battle that pits the mayor against a key Henderson Police official.

Gibson said Wednesday he wasn't prepared to comment at this time.

Last week the mayor, 57, told the Sun that he was considering a gubernatorial campaign and would make an announcement in August. A Web site named jimgibson.com., meanwhile, gives a hint of the future by saying "coming soon."

Henderson Councilman Steven Kirk said Gibson told him on Monday of his plans to run for governor. Councilman Andy Hafen, who is on vacation, said Gibson left him a phone message about his gubernatorial bid.

Council members said Gibson made his decision over the weekend in talking with his family.

"He just said he was making some phone calls and wanted to say he had made a decision and wanted to put all the rumors to bed," Kirk said.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus of Las Vegas has already announced her Democratic candidacy for the open seat. Fellow Democrat, Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, a deputy police chief for Henderson, said he plans to run, but he hasn't made a formal announcement. He's expected to announce his candidacy after he returns from a vacation in Europe.

Perkins' campaign consultant, Sean Sinclair, didn't waste time in attacking Gibson's Democratic credentials. He questioned why Gibson gave a $1,000 donation to Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., who in November defeated Democrat Tom Gallagher.

"Democratic voters want a candidate who stands with them and fought the fight with them," Sinclair said. "That was one of the biggest races, and Jim Gibson wasn't fighting the fight with us. He was fighting against us."

In 1998 Perkins gave a $500 donation to a Republican, Roderic Steinkamp of Henderson, who was challenging then-Republican Assemblywoman Sandra Tiffany of Henderson. Sinclair said Perkins was helping his party by giving a donation in the GOP primary.

"Giving a donation to a Republican candidate against a right-wing Republican is in the best interest of Nevada," Sinclair said. "Giving a donation to someone following the right-wing policy of (House Majority Leader) Tom Delay (of Texas) and President Bush is a completely different situation."

Henderson Councilman Jack Clark, a Republican, said he wishes Perkins the best but he will support Gibson. He said the mayor's Democratic Party credentials shouldn't be questioned and hopes the campaigns stick to the issues and let the voters decide.

"One of the selling points for me is that he is able to work across party lines," Clark said. "I am a registered Republican, and it is pretty unusual to publicly support a Democrat.

"Jim Gibson is what the Democratic Party should represent -- the party of people who work hard and take care of their families. It is disturbing to me that the first words of the campaign is that he is not a real Democrat."

Gibson recently stepped down as chief executive officer of the Transit Systems Management, operators of the Las Vegas Monorail. He's serving as a consultant.

Some political observers expect the campaigns to criticize Gibson over problems with the Las Vegas Monorail. Gibson has said he inherited the problems and has made a contribution to the monorail.

Titus' campaign manager Dave Barnhart, sounded a more conciliatory tone about Gibson's planned entry into the race. He said that when Titus visits Henderson in a future campaign stop, she hopes to bump into Gibson. Titus received a $1,500 donation from Gibson for her 2004 re-election campaign to the Senate.

"If Mayor Gibson is getting into the race, Dina welcomes him," Barnhart said. "It has been widely rumored that a number of candidates are going to challenge for the Democratic nomination. She is pleased voters will have distinctive choices."

Titus stands to gain the most by Gibson's entry into the race, said Eric Herzik, a political science professor at UNR. He ranks Perkins as the slight favorite over Titus with Gibson in third place, but he added that Titus will benefit by having another opponent to draw from more conservative Democratic voters.

"You have a real contest in the Democratic primary," Herzik said. "I think he (Gibson) helps Dina Titus because he is a more conservative Democrat and has the same home base in Clark County as Richard Perkins."

Drawing from his fund-raising during his mayoral campaign, Gibson has about $450,000 in the bank through the end of June. Titus' and Perkins' campaigns said Wednesday they had a similar amount of money but declined to say how much.

Last week Gibson said it would take between $2 million and $3 million for the primary campaign.

By running for governor, Gibson would be following his father into state politics. James I. Gibson served in the state Senate from 1967 to 1988.

Gibson won't be required to step down from his post as mayor by running for governor, but one of his two opponents in the April mayoral election, Laurie Robinson, called on him Wednesday to do so. Gibson won re-election with 80 percent of the vote.

Robinson said Gibson knew he was running for governor when his campaign raised in excess of $800,000 for the Henderson's mayoral race.

"It comes as no surprise to me," Robinson said. "Why did he have so much money for his re-election? He was not interested in being mayor. He is deceiving the public trust."

When he ran for mayor earlier this year, Gibson said he had no plans to run for governor. He said he raised so much money to prepare for a stronger challenger and wanted the ability to explain issues to voters.

Clark said Gibson doesn't need to step down and that running for governor won't hinder his ability to serve as mayor.

Gibson's other colleagues on the council appeared excited about his candidacy for governor. Hafen said Gibson would make a good governor, but he said it's too early to predict how the race will turn out. He said the race will be exciting for Henderson.

"We have two candidates of the second largest city in the state. Obviously, we are going to have quite a lot of input into state politics," Hafen said.

Kirk said he didn't think anyone was more qualified to serve as governor than Gibson who he called honest and with integrity. Kirk said Gibson has a style that's deliberate by thinking through problems.

"I think he has a very good chance of winning," Kirk said. "He may not have the name recognition throughout the state, but once people get to know him better and listen to his positions on the issues and talk with him and learn his personality, he will win a lot of people. He has a good shot at this. If he didn't think he had a chance, he would not do it."

Henderson Councilwoman Amanda Cyphers said she spoke to Gibson this week but declined to comment on his plans, saying that should be left to him to disclose. But she said she was excited about the upcoming election season.

"The thought of our homegrown mayor running for governor is really exciting from a Henderson perspective," Cyphers said. "We have one of our own looking to run our state, and I feel the excitement already of our home team."

Perkins previously said that if he runs for governor, he would step down as a deputy chief in Henderson.

Clark said it will be interesting having a Henderson mayor and deputy police chief running against each other for governor. He said it's possible there may be tensions behind the scenes at City Hall, but he hopes employees don't get involved and take sides on who they are going to support. That should be a private decision for employees, he said.

"I think it will be OK, but maybe I will have a different opinion in a couple of months," Clark said.

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