Commission, City Council decisions have effect on Summerlin

Stephen R. Sylvanie/Special to the Home News

Summerlin voters line up to cast their ballots inside the Shadow Hills Baptist Church an hour before polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

By Jeff Pope (contact)

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008 | 1:19 a.m.

While the presidential race motivated high voter turnout, there were several important contests decided Tuesday that affect Summerlin.

Larry Brown will move from the Las Vegas City Council to the County Commission representing District C, which covers most of Summerlin north of Charleston Boulevard.

Brown, a Democrat, beat Republican Assemblywoman Valerie Weber to fill the seat vacated by Chip Maxfield, who chose not to run.

Brown received 57 percent while Weber earned 38 percent of the votes.

"I'm looking forward to new challenges of Clark County. I think I can bring some experience and new solutions," Brown said. "I don't expect to go in there and change the world over night. My expectations are to go in there and work with the commission, to represent the constituents in the northwest to the best of my ability."

Brown said responsible government spending tops his list of priorities. He also said he favors development of renewable energy projects that create high-paying jobs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing regulations against the lending practices that led to the housing crisis.

Weber said she was disappointed in the results. She went on to say her opponent had his work cut out for him with the county facing a tough economy.

"I'm so pleased about the race we ran. The people have spoken and I wish Mr. Brown well," she said. "There's things the commission needs to do now and they need to be engaged with the electorate."

Weber didn't say if she would run for office again.

"We'll see what the future holds," she said.

In one of the tightest and most contentious races, Democratic challenger Allison Copening ousted first-term Sen. Bob Beers, a Republican, in Senate District 6.

Copening received 23,710 votes, or 53 percent, to 20,885 votes for Beers.

The campaign was heated on both sides. Less than a week before the election, Beers filed a libel lawsuit against Copening and the Nevada Democratic Party. The complaint stated that a political advertisement distributed by the party read that Beers was "Under Ethics Commission Review."

Jeorge Martin, a Republican police officer who lives in Beers' district, filed a complaint with the Ethics Commission regarding Beers' role in a bill amendment that benefited his former employer.

Beers said the commission told him he was not under investigation or review, according to published reports.

Neither Beers nor Copening could be reached for comment.

Copening, president of the board of a nonprofit organization and a former marketing executive, supports a statewide lottery to fund education. She also supports a statewide health insurance exchange in which several insurers would offer the same benefits at a fixed price and have to take all comers, while being paid more if they enrolled sicker patients.

Clark County saw a massive voter turnout with 650,472 casting a ballot, according to preliminary numbers from the Election Department.

That represents 80 percent of the 815,190 registered voters. Democrats held an edge with 386,935 registered voters to the Republican's 261,717.

The results won't become official until county commissioners canvas the ballots at their Nov. 12 meeting.

Several other races affecting Summerlin communities were decided Tuesday.

Democrat Shelley Berkley retained her congressional seat. She beat out Republican challenger Kenneth Wegner with about 68 percent of votes.

Wegner also ran unsuccessfully against Berkley in 2006. Tom Collins was re-elected to the County Commission District B. He beat Republican Gary Hosea, 67 to 27 percent.

Twelve-year veteran Valerie Wiener retained her Senate District 3 seat with 65 percent of the vote. She beat fellow Democrat Anthony "Tonybop" Wernicke.

Both candidates for the seat were Democrats because no other parties filed.

Republican John Hambrick edged Democrat Carlos Blumberg for the Assembly District 2 seat vacated by Republican Garn Mabey.

Hambrick received about 50 percent while Blumberg received 45 percent.

Democrat Peggy Pierce successfully defended her Assembly District 3 seat from Republican Eric Morelli. Pierce received 62 percent while Morelli garnered 32 percent. Republican Richard McArthur defeated Democrat Craig Ballew for the Assembly District 4. McArthur collected 49 percent to Ballew's 46 percent.

Democrat Marilyn Loop won the District 5 Assembly seat with 51 percent. Her opponent, Republican Donna Toussaint, received 40 percent.

Incumbent Republican Chad Christensen narrowly defended his Assembly District 13 seat against Democrat Andrew Martin. Christensen earned 49 percent while Martin collected 47.68 percent.

Three-term Assemblyman William Horne, a Democrat, held his District 34 seat from Republican Richard Deeds. Horne received 60 percent while Deeds received 34 percent.

Marcus Conklin, the assistant majority floor leader of the Assembly, beat Republican Ron "Garrett" Giarratano for District 37. Conklin garnered 68 percent to 32 percent for Giarratano.

For School District E, a non-partisan race, incumbent Terri Janison beat John Schutt Jr. Janison received 71 percent of the votes.

Jeff Pope can be reached at 990-2688 or jeff.pope@hbcpub.com.