Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

In nonpartisan mayor’s race, some candidates wave party colors

Las Vegas Mayoral Debate 2.22.2011

Candidates, from left, Larry Brown, Katherine Duncan, Chris Giunchigliani, Carolyn Goodman and Steve Ross take part in a Las Vegas mayoral debate sponsored by various neighborhood associations Tuesday, February 22, 2011. Launch slideshow »

Sun Coverage

The Las Vegas mayoral race is nonpartisan. No candidates’ party affiliation will appear on the ballot.

But that hasn’t kept some of the 18 hopefuls from injecting partisanship into the race as they try to set themselves apart on primary day.

Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani states on her campaign website that she’s a lifelong Democrat and links to the state and Clark County Democratic parties.

Businessman George Harris launched his campaign as a “Tequila Party” candidate but has stressed his Republican roots. He is a former chairman of the Clark County GOP and a former finance chairman of the state GOP, he noted prominently at a recent debate.

At the same debate, businessman Victor Chaltiel said: “I have been a conservative all my life. I’m on the board of the Republican Jewish Coalition.” Chaltiel says he isn’t running to promote a particular political party, but quickly adds: “I am the only credible Republican.”

Of the leading candidates, Giunchigliani, Las Vegas Councilman Steve Ross and County Commissioner Larry Brown are Democrats.

Carolyn Goodman is an independent. She and her husband, Mayor Oscar Goodman, changed their party registration in 2009 when he was toying with running for governor. Before that they were Democrats.

Carolyn Goodman’s campaign manager, Bradley Mayer, said despite being labeled as nonpartisan, political affiliations inevitably come into play in all municipal races because “the people who vote still have a party affiliation.”

For many voters, party is nearly the only lens through which they assess a candidate.

Generally speaking, Republicans advocate for more free-market enterprise and less government intervention, and Democrats typically support an expanded role for government in regulating business and the economy.

The issues the next Las Vegas mayor will face include unemployment, economic diversification, neighborhood maintenance and redevelopment. The overarching theme is Nevada’s economic troubles and the candidates’ views on how best to pull the city out of its slump reflect their party affiliation.

Giunchigliani sounds like a Democrat when she advocates tax increases if it means better services for residents and expresses support for unions.

Harris and Chaltiel fall easily into the Republican mold. They promote tax breaks for businesses and an economy built on entrepreneurship.

More difficult to categorize are Goodman, Brown and Ross, who appear to be playing the broad middle ground between Democratic and Republican talking points. It’s a sound strategy, some say.

Political philosophy will likely play a larger role in this race than strict party affiliation, said Ryan Erwin, a political consultant who is working on Chaltiel’s campaign.

Goodman, Brown and Ross rarely mention their party ties. All propose fewer regulations for businesses, a typically Republican ideal, but also support unions, a more Democratic ideal.

Brown is a lifelong Democrat but describes himself as a fiscal conservative. Ross also is a Democrat but is running his campaign on one message — creating jobs by making the business environment more friendly, a platform that is sure to resonate with Republicans.

Goodman’s rhetoric mirrors her independent registration. “I’m not promoting a political ticket,” she said. Instead, she advocates examining every issue on its merits. That includes favoring funding for the arts while pushing for less bureaucracy to encourage business development.

Las Vegas falls in line with most major cities in having nonpartisan mayoral elections. Of the nation’s 50 biggest cities, 41 run mayoral races without party lines.

Scholars argue that nonpartisan races tend to be more democratic because they remove parties’ influence over the nomination process and reduce patronage. Studies have also shown they increase voter access, especially as the number of independent voters rises.

But critics point out that without party cues, voters rely on incumbency when choosing a candidate.

That might be a factor in this race, as Oscar Goodman can’t run for a fourth term because of term limits, but his popularity appears to be carrying over to his wife. Carolyn Goodman dominated early polls even before she introduced herself to voters or outlined a platform, besting her next closest competitors by more than a 2 to 1 margin.

But partisanship could make things closer than the poll suggests.

Turnout in the mayoral race expected to be in the low double digits. If 50,000 of Las Vegas’ 235,000 registered voters cast ballots, it would be a good showing. A candidate will likely make it to the general election with less than 10,000 votes.

Moving ahead “will really boil down to who has the best ground game,” said Sig Rogich, a political adviser who is not involved in the mayoral race.

In partisan races, candidates rely on party members to form their base of support, knock on doors and get voters to the polls. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, for example, won re-election in large part because of a Democratic get-out-the-vote effort.

With turnout expected to be low, campaigning to tested voters — a party base — will bring a distinct advantage. Party affiliations help, and the candidates seem to know it.

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