Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

SUN EDITORIAL:

Our choices for county offices

There are a number of Clark County offices on the ballot this year, and given the budget crisis facing the state, the county needs people who can provide sure and steady leadership during this time. Voters have plenty of races to determine. Our endorsements go in the order the races appear on the ballot.

Three of the seven members of the Clark County Commission are up for election.

In District E, Democrat Chris Giunchigliani is running for a second term. A former educator, she has a long history of public service, having been a member of the Assembly for 16 years. She has done an excellent job reaching out to the community and working to make the county a better place. She deserves another term. The Sun endorses Chris Giunchigliani.

Susan Brager is running for another term in District F. A Realtor, Brager is a longtime resident of Clark County. The Democrat spent a decade on the Clark County School Board before being elected to the commission. She has done a good job working to develop new parks, and she has been active working with the community. She should be re-elected. The Sun endorses Susan Brager.

Republican Douglas Bell is running against Democrat Mary Beth Scow for Rory Reid’s seat in District G. Bell retired from the county in 2008 after a long, successful career working to build housing projects and improve the community. A political newcomer, he has impressive credentials and good ideas. Scow is well-known to the community. She spent 12 years on the School Board, serving three years as board president, and she served on the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Commission. We like what Bell brings to the race, but the edge goes to Scow based on her experience and performance over the years. The Sun endorses Mary Beth Scow.

Republican David Roger is running for his third term as district attorney. He has proven himself time and again to be a strong prosecutor. During his tenure, the crime rate has gone down and his office has worked to respond to new criminal threats. He has also taken on political corruption and white-collar crime. He deserves another term. The Sun endorses David Roger.

Michele Shafe, an assistant director in the assessor’s office, is running to replace her boss, Mark Schofield, the longtime assessor. A Democrat, she is running against Republican Gerrit Hale, a former employee of the assessor’s office who used to own an appraisal business. We like what Hale brings to the table, but Shafe gets the edge due to her 13 years of experience in the office. The Sun endorses Michele Shafe.

Diana Alba was appointed county clerk in 2009 after the death of longtime clerk Shirley Parraguirre. Alba, a Democrat, has worked in the office for 25 years and spent nine as Parraguirre’s assistant. Alba is experienced, knowledgeable and worth electing. The Sun endorses Diana Alba.

Democrat Debbie Conway won the election for county recorder in 2006 against Republican Jim Edwards, who is running against her again. We like Edwards, a retired Army veteran, and we endorsed him last time. Edwards has great drive and energy. But Conway has done a good job and positioned the office for the future. She has good ideas and is forward-thinking. The Sun endorses Debbie Conway.

Laura Fitzpatrick is a CPA with a strong resume of experience in both the public and private sectors. She has been treasurer since 1998. Fitzpatrick, a Democrat, is smart, has plenty of experience and has done a good job. The Sun endorses Laura Fitzpatrick.

Public Administrator John Cahill, a Democrat, is running for re-election after one term as public administrator, as the official who represents the estates of the deceased who have no one willing or able to represent them. He is running against Republican Jack Clark, a former Henderson City Councilman who is wrapping up a 23-year career as a Metro Police detective. And while we have no major qualms with Cahill, whom we like and endorsed four years ago, Clark is the best candidate in this race given his law enforcement and investigative experience. The Sun endorses Jack Clark.

Sheriff Doug Gillespie is running for re-election against Metro Officer Laurie Bisch in this non-partisan race. Bisch has been indefatigable in the race, but Gillespie, who has a wide variety of experience in leadership roles, has proven himself in his first term. He has handled the administration of the department well through budget cutbacks and has worked hard to deploy officers to fight crime — and the statistics show it has worked. The Sun endorses Doug Gillespie.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy