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AP Photo/Cathleen Allison
Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller answers media questions Monday, May 2, 2011, at the Legislature in Carson City. Miller defined the process as the state faces a special election to replace a resigning congressman heading to the U.S. Senate.
By Anjeanette Damon (contact) 
Published Monday, May 2, 2011 | 11:24 a.m.
Updated Monday, May 2, 2011 | 8:16 p.m.
Sun Archives
- Dean Heller in U.S. Senate shifts landscape in state politics (4-28-2011)
- Sandoval chooses Dean Heller for John Ensign replacement (4-27-2011)
- Until the end, John Ensign a master of close-call politics (4-22-2011)
- Heller appointment to Senate changes campaign calculus (4-22-2011)
- Dean Heller could get boost, but can't shake bout with Shelley Berkley (4-22-2011)
- If Dean Heller chosen to replace John Ensign, fallout would be felt down the ticket (4-22-2011)
- Sandoval: Sen. John Ensign replacement will be named before May 3 (4-22-2011)
- Nevada’s special election laws not so clear, probably will result in lawsuit (4-22-2011)
- Sen. John Ensign to resign, Dean Heller likely replacement (4-21-11)
CARSON CITY — Secretary of State Ross Miller opened the floodgates Monday when he announced the Sept. 13 special election for the 2nd Congressional District will be a free-for-all — an open ballot for any Republican or Democrat who is qualified to run.
In fact, Miller’s office won’t even charge the customary $300 filing fee. The announcement could set the stage for a California-like scrum of dozens of Republicans competing with dozens of Democrats for the chance to serve out the remainder of Republican Rep. Dean Heller’s term after he is sworn in this month to the U.S. Senate.
But stronger forces are aligning that may keep that from happening — namely Democrats’ desire to give their candidate a fighting chance to win the seat and Republicans’ desire to marginalize former Assemblywoman Sharron Angle after she bungled last year’s race against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Miller’s decision to take the nominating process out of the hands of the state Republican and Democratic parties unleashed a flood of accusations from Republicans that his decision was partisan and not based on the law. “Any suggestion that this wasn’t a partisan decision is laughable,” Republican consultant Ryan Erwin said.
Indeed, a free-for-all election — or as Miller coined it, a ballot royale — gives Democrats their best shot at capturing the congressional seat that has been controlled by Republicans since its creation. Paradoxically, however, it also sets the conditions for Democrats to lose it.
“This could be a good opportunity for us,” one Democratic source said. “If we have one Democrat and a few Republicans, then we have a shot. But it really depends on who those Republicans are, and I don’t think Angle is necessarily a supermagic bullet.”
The problem is that at least three Democrats are mulling the race.
State Treasurer Kate Marshall has hired a campaign manager and seems intent on running, although she hasn’t made an official announcement. Former Regent Jill Derby, who ran twice unsuccessfully in the district, is telling people she is serious about the race and former Regent Nancy Price, who ran and lost last year, also says she’s in.
If party leaders can’t talk two of them out of the race, the Democrats’ only advantage evaporates.
“I don’t think either one wants to become the awful spoiler who didn’t make this possible,” the Democratic source said of Derby and Marshall, seen as the strongest of the three candidates.
The Nevada Republican Party, which had already begun setting up the process to nominate a candidate to run in the special election, will likely sue to halt the open ballot, the party’s Reno lawyer David O’Mara said.
He argues Miller is selectively interpreting the law and ignoring tradition. (He points to a 1954 special election for the U.S. Senate in which the party central committees selected the nominees.)
Erwin argues the sanctity of the parties’ role in putting their best candidate forward shouldn’t be violated.
“It’s what a party is supposed to do,” he said. “It’s why we have primaries and caucuses. It’s how people get vetted.”
If the party’s central committee is allowed to select a nominee, it’s unlikely Angle, who has garnered significant party anger in the wake of her loss to Reid, would get the nod.
But in the free-for-all, Republicans find themselves in largely the same position as Democrats.
State Sen. Greg Brower, R-Reno, is busily working to lock up enough establishment support to go up against Angle. But Kirk Lippold, former commander of the USS Cole is already in the race and at least two other Republican candidates are eyeing the seat as well, Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki and Nevada Republican Party Chairman Mark Amodei.
The scrum would not only give the advantage to a sole Democratic candidate, but also to Angle.
For his part, Miller said the benefit of the process to one party or another didn’t enter his decision-making. He is adamant that his position is supported in the law and that it is sound policy.
“To suggest that candidates for this or any particular public office should be the sole determination of a few politically elite power brokers is an absolute insult to the intelligence of those voters,” he said.
So Angle a the teanuts will eat each other and the democrat will win!
Open elections are an American tradition. In 2003, California had an open election to replace the recalled Gov. Gray Davis. Among the 135 candidates: the comedian Gallagher, Larry Flint, publisher of Hustler magazive, and my favorite, Mary Carey: http://www.life.com/image/2569178. Unfortunately, she lost, and Arnold won.
Here come the crazies!
Personally, I'd love to see Dina Titus run, just to chafe the UNLV College Republicans and their six-month snoozer of an effort to drum up controversy.
Either way, it's going to be a sideshow. I hope Kate Marshall seriously considers a run.
Way to go Ross Miller.
You have now opened up the 3 ring circus.
No partisanship here of course.
"Any suggestion that this wasn't a partisan decision is laughable," Republican consultant" Ryan Erwin said. Is this any different than the decision that spawned this election ?????
"Personally, I'd love to see Dina Titus run, just to chafe the UNLV College Republicans and their six-month snoozer of an effort to drum up controversy."
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Do you really think the voters of CD2 would take her seriously, given her historically anti-North comments and the fact that she'd have to actually move there in order to run for the office?
Well at least they will dump lots of money on Nevada again...another windfall for media...
Senator Brower needs to look to his votes on the budget first: if he marches in lock-step to the governor's senseless, draconian dictates to wipe out education, child services, mental health services, senior services, etc., even going against the pleas of business leaders and the majority of citizens, he will be doomed in the CD 2 election. Southern Nevada voters especially will shy away from him, and the district includes significant numbers in Clark County.
Are you listening, Sen. Brower? Do you truly wish to vote against retaining the 2009 tax fix now, at the expense of so many vital needs of our state?
Anything to stop the people from deciding... looks like the GOP is so lacking in party discipline they're going to ask a court to give them some. you people allowed Sharron Angle to dominate your party--- you deal with her.
"Southern Nevada voters especially will shy away from him, and the district includes significant numbers in Clark County."
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If 7.6 percent of the ballots cast in the 2010 election in CD2 from Clark County counts as "significant", then I guess you've got a point.