Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Fifth candidate files in Las Vegas mayoral race

Two more candidates emerge Friday for Las Vegas City Council seats

Updated Friday, Jan. 28, 2011 | 5:30 p.m.

Another candidate emerged Friday to run in the Las Vegas mayoral race — a retiree who has been a teacher, cowboy and even worked in the northern Nevada gold mines.

Larry M. Jeppeson, a 72-year-old former teacher who has had a variety of work experiences, filed Friday afternoon for the position now held by term-limited Oscar Goodman, who has held the post for nearly 12 years.

Jeppeson is the fifth candidate who has entered the race so far since the filing period opened Monday.

Others who have filed to run in the April 5 municipal primary include Tim Gamble, 28, who entered the race on Thursday, and Katie Duncan, Marlene Rogoff and Abdul H. Shabazz, who all filed earlier in the week.

At least three more people are expected to file before the Feb. 4 filing deadline: Las Vegas City Councilman Steve Ross and two Clark County commissioners, Larry Brown and Chris Guinchigliani.

Jeppeson said he was a high school business teacher for 29 years in Boise, Idaho, and during that time he owned a motel, ran a feedlot and worked in real estate and insurance.

"I'm probably the only real cowboy you know. I raised cattle for nine years in Nampa, Idaho," he said.

Jeppeson said he retired from teaching in 1998. And to wind down, he went to truck driving school for three years. He then hauled ore in the northern Nevada gold mines.

"I drink coffee with a bunch of guys in Summerlin and every day they're complaining about the firefighters," Jeppeson said. "What I decided to do is get elected mayor and then we could reorganize the Las Vegas fire department."

"Every time you pick up a newspaper, there's a letter to the editor about the firefighters exorbitant salaries," he said. "What we need to do is reorganize it."

Tim Gamble, who filed Thursday, is a training officer and emergency medical technician at Caesars Entertainment Corp.

He said he came to Las Vegas three years ago and found it "heartbreaking" that so many people have lost jobs here during that time and wants to help prevent that from happening in the future. He advocates diversifying the city's downtown.

"Diversifying and attracting new business is the way to go," Gamble said. Formerly from southern California, he said that state's taxes makes it difficult for businesses, so he would like to attract those businesses to southern Nevada.

Gamble admits that his name is appropriate for a high-profile position in Las Vegas, but doesn't expect it to get him any more votes.

"I think it will be an attention grabber, but I think people will be more interested in what somebody can do for them, instead of a name," he said.

Earlier Friday, incumbent 1st Ward Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian got a challenger: Margarita Rebollal filed for that seat.

And late Friday afternoon, Tony Liker, a local attorney who ran in 2008 for a family court judge post, filed to run for the open Ward 3 seat on the city council being vacated by Mayor Pro Tem Gary Reese. Bob Coffin, a former state senator, filed for that post earlier this week.

On Thursday, incumbent Councilman Ricki Barlow picked up a challenger as Randy "Mr. Randy" Voyard filed for the Ward 5 position.

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