Thursday, Sept. 22, 2005 | 11:16 a.m.
Admitting it would go against the odds to be elected governor after a contentious three-way Democratic primary, Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins opted Wednesday not to run, likely bolstering the chances of Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson.
On the day before he had planned to announce his candidacy, Perkins, a deputy police chief in Henderson, choked back emotion at times in making the unexpected announcement Wednesday afternoon at the state Democratic Party headquarters in Las Vegas.
That morning, Perkins' campaign team had been preparing for him to announce his bid for governor today at the United Brotherhood of Carpenters International Training Center in Las Vegas and at a Reno elementary school.
His decision to pull out, which he called a difficult one, leaves Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, to square off against Gibson, who is expected to formally announce his Democratic bid in three to four weeks.
Perkins said he believes he would have won the primary, but after spending millions of dollars against each other, he said it's unlikely either he, Gibson or Titus would be able to defeat the current GOP front-runner, Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Reno.
He also said defeating Gibbons is more of a priority than Perkins, himself, winning.
"I came to the conclusion that a very competitive three-way primary leaves nobody in a position to win," Perkins said. "I feel very strongly that the congressman should not be governor of this state. He will roll back all of our accomplishments."
By taking himself out of the race, Perkins said the financial resources will be less diluted among Democrats and that only improves the party's chances.
Gibbons is facing two opponents in the primary, Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt and state Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas.
Perkins said the 10 weeks between the primary and general election works against Democrats in a three-way race. He said he doesn't expect Gibbons to face significant opposition.
"It doesn't give you time to recover for a good campaign against somebody (in Gibbons) whose sitting on a war chest. That's what drove the decision," said Perkins, who doesn't have any plans to endorse a candidate at this time.
"I believe I would have won the primary without question, but I don't think we would have had the resources to embark on the general election."
Perkins and Gibson, with their Mormon roots, Henderson ties and moderate views, were expected to siphon votes from each other and aid the more liberal Titus.
By taking Perkins out of the picture, Gibson's chances have improved because he will be viewed as being more electable, said UNR political science professor Erik Herzik.
"This completely changes the Democratic primary," Herzik said. "This is not good new for Dina Titus. Gibson has to be very happy right now. His stock goes way up. He is not going to be splitting the money, and the Democratic leadership will rally behind him."
Titus, who has been running strong in the polls, didn't react like a candidate who has been harmed by Perkins dropping out of the race. She said she was surprised by his decision because Perkins was preparing to formally announce his candidacy today.
As far as Titus is concerned, she said she's the only candidate in the race for now because no one else has announced.
"Jim Gibson is not in the race either," Titus said. "I am the only Democrat in there. I am just going forward, and I am in it to win."
Gibson spokesman Greg Bortolin said the mayor isn't backing down on his plans to run and has put together his campaign team. He said he was surprised to hear Perkins' announcement after talking with him a few weeks ago. He declined to handicap the race now that Perkins isn't running.
"I just think we have to wait and see how it plays out," Bortolin said. "The voters will have a more focused lens on two candidates."
Robert Uithoven, Gibbons' campaign manager, said it's too soon to say the Democratic race will feature only two candidates. There is plenty of time for other named candidates to jump in. Some have speculated Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman could ultimately enter the race.
Uithoven said Perkins dropped out because his polling wasn't living up to expectations and was afraid of Gibbons. He questioned why the speaker said he feared Gibbons would roll back accomplishments if he won.
"I am not so sure what the speaker has accomplished for the state," Uithoven said. "Many people don't know that, and it's reflected in his numbers."
Perkins, who hasn't ruled out running for elective office in the future, said he won't run for re-election in the Assembly and will back Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, for speaker. He said he plans to stay active in state politics and campaign for Democrats.
He said he's not leaving public life but taking a break, and at 43, is young enough to revisit a run for high office in the future.
Perkins' political adviser, Billy Vassiliadis, the chief executive of advertising agency R&R Partners, said Perkins would have won the primary but faced an uphill battle in the general election.
It will take $3 million to $4 million to win a hotly contested primary, only to need a similar amount to win the election, he said. Vassiliadis said. Perkins made the decision in consultation with his family.
"To go raise money from scratch, it would have been pretty tough," Vassiliadis said. "And at 43 years old, why roll the dice. Richard Perkins will be governor or senator sometime in the future."
Nevada politics has shown that few people come back from a loss in a major race and win office, Vassiliadis said. He said Perkins will be a leading contender for any office he wants in the future, and that he will keep a high profile statewide by raising money and campaigning for others. He said he doesn't expect Perkins to run for any post in 2006.
Perkins said he made the decision against running on Tuesday afternoon after talking with his wife, Terri, and his family. He informed his campaign staff on Wednesday, setting the stage for a makeshift press conference attended by four of his five children and supporters such as Vassiliadis.
As for why he waited for the last minute to pull out, Perkins, who has been mulling such a run for several years, said that sometimes people don't make decisions until coming to the point where they need to be made. Gibson only told friends and colleagues in late July that he would run against Titus and Perkins.
If he had lost his race for governor, Perkins would have been without a job since Henderson officials wouldn't let him campaign full time and serve as deputy chief for a post that pays $132,487 a year.
Last week Perkins won a ruling from an administrative law judge who said he didn't violate the federal Hatch Act restricting political activity of certain government employees. A ruling against Perkins could have cost him his job.
Perkins, who said he will talk with Henderson's new police chief before deciding whether he will stay in his role as deputy chief, said he looks forward to spending more time with his family. He said he has missed a lot of school plays and other events by devoting more than 20 years as a police officer and 14 years as a legislator.
"The night before last I was talking with my youngest who said, 'Daddy, I don't want you to give up your dream,' " Perkins said. "I am not. This family is my dream."
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