Montandon upset with Democrats’ role in race

Wednesday, May 18, 2005 | 9:39 a.m.

The state Democratic Party has become a major player in the race for North Las Vegas mayor, sparking complaints from Mayor Mike Montandon of partisan politics and negative campaigning against him.

The state party has distributed a flier on doors supporting challenger Andres Ramirez, a Democratic activist and former aide to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., calling large campaign donations to the mayor and council as "legalized bribery."

The Democratic party's Web site has postings supporting Ramirez and one referring to Montandon as "money bags."

"I am not concerned about their money as I am their tactics," said Montandon, who has been active in the Republican Party. "I think it will backfire on them. I think it is desperate move as far as the party is concerned. I just think it is the lowest form of politics. They are sleazy."

The race for mayor is non-partisan, but Ramirez said he wouldn't be surprised if the state Democratic Party spent as much as $100,000 in his behalf against Montandon.

State Democratic Party spokesman Jon Summers won't discuss how much will be spent or campaign strategy used, but said he doesn't understand the criticism from the Montandon campaign.

Ramirez is a Democrat and the party supports fellow Democrats running for office, including those contesting races in cities where the party is not listed on the ballot. Although it is not illegal, he said it is wrong for the mayor to vote on developers' projects without disclosing he had received large donations from them.

"If Mayor Montandon doesn't have the Republican Party getting behind him, that is an issue he has to take up with the Republican party," Summers said. "I don't know how you can be sleazy when we are supporting a Democratic candidate. That is what the party is for ... He may not like the facts, but that doesn't mean they are wrong."

Ramirez welcomed the financial and volunteer support of the state party, but he said by law his campaign can't have any ties with their efforts and expenditures. He said the Democratic Party, however, hasn't done anything wrong.

"I just think they are focusing on Montandon and his record," Ramirez said. "I appreciate anybody who wants to help me. I don't have any control over what they do, but I don't think they have done anything improper."

Montandon's campaign also questioned why the Democrat's flier promoting Ramirez didn't have a picture of him and his family but instead had a large picture of a white man and wife with two children and grandparents. The same flier has a photo of Montandon that depicts him with larger teeth and smaller eyes.

Steve Wark, Montandon's campaign manager, said the photo portrays the candidate as something he's not and doesn't understand the rationale. Either it was done accidentally or Democrats don't think they can get their white voters in North Las Vegas to support Hispanic candidates.

"If it was thoughtlessly done, than it was poorly executed and lacks class," Wark said. "If it was strategically done, than it is remarkable disingenuous."

Ramirez called it racist to suggest that Democrats are trying to pass him and his family off as white. He said he has his picture on fliers and billboards that doesn't hide what he looks like. He said even Montandon has had fliers depicting various ethnic groups.

Summers said there was no intent to depict Ramirez as white. He said the party is not allowed to have contact with Ramirez's campaign, even for a photo, and that the photo on his Web site wouldn't have been clear enough if it was downloaded.

The photo used in the flier was a stock photo meant to depict a typical family in North Las Vegas, Summers said. A photo of Montandon on the flier was downloaded from his Web site, but it didn't need to be clear, he said.

Montandon said he doesn't believe Ramirez has not been in touch with Democratic officials because he has seen him hand out the party's fliers -- an accusation Ramirez denies.

Wark, a former chairman of the state and Clark County Republican Party, said the mayor has rejected formal party involvement in all three of his campaigns. In his first race in 1997, Clark County Republicans operated a phone bank for Montandon despite his objections, Wark said. There was a backlash against Montandon and showed him that residents don't want political parties to get involved in a non-partisan races, he said.

"It does a total injustice to the citizens of North Las Vegas," Wark said. "It is sleazy and political and I wouldn't expect anything different from them. You don't find similar material on the Web site of the Republican Party."

Brian Scroggins, chairman of the Clark County Republican Party, said his party offered support to make phone calls and send out e-mails for Montandon, but the offer wasn't accepted. He said he doesn't have a problem with party involvement in city races but said it should focus only on supporting a candidate rather than launching attacks against an opponent.

Ramirez said he doesn't understand the criticism of party involvement and called Montandon one of the most partisan mayors in the city's history. He said the mayor showed his partisanship by raising money for Republicans and backing the re-election bid of President Bush.

Wark said there is nothing improper with Montandon's involvement with the GOP and that it is unrelated to his campaign for mayor. He admits he and Montandon have used their background in the party to tap into donors and grass roots networks, but there is nothing wrong about that since both of them helped create that network.

Montandon said Ramirez, not him, is the one who is partisan in city politics.

"He is a politician looking for an office to land in," Montandon said.