Assembly District 29 – Henderson: Fellows faces Mastroluca

By Jenna Kohler (contact)

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008 | 8:03 p.m.

Sean Fellows for Nevada Assembly

Sean Fellows, 28 is the Republican candidate for Assembly District 29 in Henderson.

Sean Fellows

Party: Republican

Age: 28

Occupation: Retired military, Air Force Reservist at Nellis

Education: Undergraduate degree from University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. in political science with dual minors in history and aerospace studies. Currently pursuing Graduate Degree from UNLV in U.S. History.

Southern Nevada Residency: Five years

Special Focus: Education, reallocating of funds NOT raising taxes to add to the funds.

April Mastroluca

Party: Democrat

Age: Unknown

Occupation: Paid staff member of National PTA, community organizer

Education: Graduate from Eldorado High School

Southern Nevada Residency: Practically a Las Vegas native (family moved to Southern Nevada when she was 6-months)

Special Focus: Education and community involvement

Key races in Henderson (10-13-2008)

2008 Election Guide

When incumbent Assemblywoman Susan Gerhardt, Democrat dropped out of the race in April, District 29 became anyone’s race.

Republican candidate Sean Fellows, the 28-year-old retired Air Force captain had been campaigning since 2007 to take the seat from Gerhardt. Fellows was focusing on Democratic and independent voters as a way to bring together a state that he believes has fallen prey to polarized state politics.

“I do not hide the fact that I am a Republican, but I think what’s more important is that I tell people I share the principal views of my party, not always the mantra,” said Fellows. “It’s not about serving my party, it’s about serving my district and serving Nevada.”

Fellows has focused his race on what he calls, the “big three,” areas in which he believes the Nevada Legislature can make a difference.

“Education, transportation and health care, I think these are three areas that really help determine the quality of life of a community,” Fellows said.

“We need options. What we see in the business community should work for government . . . competition drives down costs and up performance.”

Specifically, in education, Fellows pointed to the two competing systems: public schools and charter schools. Fellows has suggested expanding the charter school system to give parents and students options and the needed competition for public schools to increase efficiency.

Fellows is up against a candidate, April Mastroluca, who has lived in Las Vegas nearly all her life.

As a community organizer, Mastroluca has spent the past six years working with the American Red Cross, the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth and is currently an employee with the National PTA.

In addition, Mastroluca has been an advocate for education and children in the past four sessions of the Nevada Legislature gathering parents and community leaders to lobby in Carson City for changes.

Mastroluca was unavailable for comment.