With no incumbents, candidates gear up for mayoral, council races

By Jeremy Twitchell

Published Friday, Feb. 6, 2009 | 6:57 p.m.

Updated Monday, Feb. 9, 2009 | 3:53 p.m.

With no incumbent in the mix, the race for mayor drew five candidates and the race for City Council Ward III drew six hopefuls by the time the filing period ended Friday.

In the third race, for Municipal Judge, District II, incumbent Judge Douglas Hedger drew one challenger.

The most prominent race, that to succeed term-limited Mayor James B. Gibson, features a mix of familiar and new faces. Three candidates, current Councilmen Andy Hafen and Steve Kirk and former Councilwoman Amanda Cyphers, have served multiple terms on the City Council. A fourth, Michael Mayberry, served as police chief from 1999-2005.

The fifth candidate, attorney Richard C. Sipan, said he joined the race the day before filing closed to give residents the option of voting for someone with a different viewpoint.

In Ward III, six candidates seek to succeed Councilman Jack Clark, who faces term limits after four terms on the council. Ward III includes the northeast part of Green Valley, the Pittman area, Tuscany and a portion of Green Valley Ranch.

Though Henderson’s council members have defined areas they represent, they are considered at-large positions, meaning that all Henderson residents can vote for each seat. Candidates must reside in the ward they seek to represent, however.

The candidates in Ward III are Kathleen Boutin, the founder of the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth; Bruce Cutler, a retired insurance salesman and member of the Whitney Ranch Homeowners Association’s Board of Directors; Jason Frayer, a telecommunications consultant and adjunct professor at the College of Southern Nevada; Cathy Rosenfield, the volunteer chairwoman of the Henderson Parks and Recreation Board; Brandon Casutt, owner of B.D.C. Enterprises, a sign company; and Jim Dunn.

In the lone judicial race Hedger, who is seeking his second six-year term, will face attorney E. Matthew Zobrist, who practices at Greene, Roberts and Rasmussen in Las Vegas.

Henderson residents may register to vote until March 17, but must do so in person at the City Clerk’s office, 240 S. Water Street, after March 8.

Early voting will be from March 21 to April 3 at various locations throughout the city, and the primary election will be April 7. As in 2007, voters will not be assigned to a specific polling location, but will be able to cast a ballot and any of the 15 vote centers the city will set up.

In the event that no candidate in a given race captures more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary, the top two candidates from that race will compete in the general election on June 2, with a two-week early voting period running from May 16-29.

Jeremy Twitchell can be reached at 990-8928 or [email protected].